BCCI invites bids for title sponsorship

MUMBAI: With another season of hectic cricket in progress, the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) today invited title sponsorship bids for its international and domestic matches.

"The Marketing Committee of the BCCI met at Mumbai to finalize the ITT (Invitation to Tender) for title sponsorship rights for BCCI international and domestic matches for the period between September 2014 and April next year," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.

In this period, India will be playing three Tests, five one-dayers and one Twenty20 with West Indies.

The statement also said that the sponsorship rights will extend to domestic tournaments such as Irani Cup, Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Vijay Hazare KO and Deodhar Trophy.

The ITT will be available at BCCI headquarters in Mumbai from August 6 and the cost has been kept unchanged at Rupees two lakhs.

The bids will be accepted until August 28, after which it will be opened, evaluated and the tender awarded in the presence of bidders.

Star India won the sponsorship rights for the last season by agreeing to pay Rs 2 crore per match for the period between October 2013 and March this year.

However, the bidding amount by Star was 39 per cent lower than what Bharti Airtel shelled out to win the rights in the previous season. Star had also won the broadcasting rights from BCCI till 2018, which they clinched in 2012.