Oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), the owners of Mumbai Indians, on Wednesday unveiled the name and brand identity of the two new franchises joining the Mumbai Indians #OneFamily.
‘MI Emirates’ in UAE’s International League T20 and ‘MI Cape Town’ in Cricket South Africa T20 League are the team names that will adorn the iconic blue and gold of the team, according to the media release by RIL.
‘MI Emirates’ and ‘MI Cape Town’ – these names were chosen as they call out the specific regions from where the teams will be based. The teams, ‘MI Emirates’ or phonetically “MY Emirates” and ‘MY Cape Town’ respectively, are dedicated to fans across both the Emirates and Cape Town.
RIL has also shared a YouTube video on the teams name and logo.
The new entities take the iconic Mumbai Indians identity and weaves in the local influence.
The global expansion of #OneFamily will bring to the leagues the ethos and the values that have helped elevate Mumbai Indians to be one of the most loved teams in franchise cricket.
Nita Ambani, director of RIL, said, "It gives me great pleasure to welcome ‘MI Emirates’ & ‘MI Cape Town’, the newest additions to our #Onefamily. For us, MI goes beyond cricket. It embodies the ability to dream, be fearless and foster a positive attitude in life. I am sure that both MI Emirates and MI Cape Town will embrace the same ethos and take MI’s global cricket legacy to even greater heights!"
Reliance Industries has played a crucial role in evolving the sports ecosystem through ownership of cricket franchises, football league in India, sports sponsorship, consultancy, and athlete talent management, and bringing in industry best practices.
Meanwhile, RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani was spotted with India’s former head coach Ravi Shastri and Google CEO Sundar Pichai at Lord's cricket ground. Shastri shared the picture and tweeted, “In the august company of two people who love their cricket- Mr Mukesh Ambani and Mr Sundar Pichai at The Hundred.”