IPL 2020 - Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Aims To Bid For Title Sponsorship After Vivo's Exit: Report

The homegrown brand Patanjali is now mulling a proposal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Baba Ramdev (Facebook page)

IPL 2020: After Vivo's exit from the title sponsorship of the IPL 2020, it is now reported that Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali is considering bidding for the mega sports event.  As per the business daily the Economic Times, Patanjali spokesperson SK Tijarawala had confirmed the development, saying the company is considering the IPL title sponsorship for this year as it wants to give the Patanjali brand a global marketing platform. Also read: Can't Wait For Season To Begin: Suresh Raina Shares Throwback Pic With Dhoni, Vijay Ahead Of IPL 13 The previous partner Vivo-BCCI partnership ended abruptly as a result of the backlash regarding the Chinese brand on the title sponsorship. On August 6, the board had Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)  suspended the deal with Chinese mobile phone company for the upcoming IPL edition in the wake of Sino-India border face-off. Initially, BCCI's decision to continue with all the sponsors, including the Chinese companies led to criticism while some stated the cricket board's measure as an act resisting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'Aatmanirbharta'. Taking the benefit of the controversy, the homegrown brand Patanjali is now mulling a proposal to the BCCI. While marketing experts consider the brand doesn’t showcase the star power of a multinational company but the company as a title sponsor for IPL can prove to be more beneficial for Patanjali than for IPL. However, the Indian brand owning the title sponsorship can be important from a nationalist perspective at a time when anti-China sentiments are strongly rooted than ever. Earlier BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said Vivo's exit as title sponsor for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) shouldn't be taken as a financial crisis. The title sponsorship remains a critical part of the IPL's commercial revenue since half of it is shared among the eight franchises. As per reports, Vivo won the IPL title sponsorship rights for five years from 2018 to 2022 for a reported sum of Rs 2,190 crore, approximately Rs 440 crore per annum.