IPL 2020: Vivo's Exit Just A 'Blip' Not Financial Crisis For BCCI, Says Sourav Ganguly  

BCCI and the IPL Governing Council decided to stage the 13th edition of the IPL out of India due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation in India

Photo: AFP

Amid the nationwide anti-China sentiment in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Vivo, the Chinese mobile manufacturing major, parted ways to end their sponsorship agreement for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), beginning from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly believes Vivo's exit as title sponsor for IPL 2020 is just a blip and shouldn't be seen as "financial crisis".

"I wouldn't call it as a financial crisis," Ganguly said while speaking during a webinar organised by Learnflix, as per ESPNCricinfo. "It's just a little bit of a blip. And the only way you can do it is by being professionally strong over a period of time.

For IPL title sponsorship rights, Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd had signed a five-year deal (2018 to 2022) with the BCCI for a reported sum of Rs 2,199 crore, approximately Rs 440 crore annually. Now, BCCI will have to find a new title sponsor as mandated by its constitution.

"Big things don't come overnight. And big things don't go away overnight. Your preparation for a long period of time gets (you) ready for losses, gets you ready for successes.

"You keep your other options open. It is like Plan A and Plan B. Sensible people do it. Sensible brands do it. Sensible corporates do it. BCCI, it's a very a strong foundation - the game, the players, the administrators in the past have made this game so strong that BCCI is able to handle all these blips," he added.

BCCI and the IPL Governing Council decided to stage the 13th edition of the IPL out of India due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation in India. The final match of the 53-day tournament will take place on 10 November.

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