The Star logo on the Indian cricket team’s kit may soon be dropped as the current sponsor revealed that they will not be entering the latest bid for the jersey rights.
When asked whether they’d be interested in continuing their association with the BCCI and enter the upcoming bid for the jersey rights, Uday Shankar, the Star India chairman and CEO, in an interview to Times of India, said:
We are very proud that our name is carried on the jersey of Team India. But given all the uncertainties, we have decided not to bid for it again. The commitments being asked for are too onerous without any clarity.
The are currently the jersey sponsor for the senior men’s, women’s and under-19 cricket team as Star’s contract with the BCCI is set to expire in March this year. Subsequently, there will be a round of bidding for the jersey rights on a tender basis.
For us, the problem is that right now we do not see a consensual leadership in cricket. The power of cricket came from the fact that everybody was aligned. The global cricket leadership was generally aligned to drive it forward. The alignment seems to have broken down. Lack of clarity – both in ICC as well as BCCI – is our biggest concern right now. We have nothing to do with the politics of cricket. Currently, we have invested in cricket more than any other media company. Our investments in the game are to the tune of a few billion dollars. And hence the business risk is very very high for us.Uday Shankar, Star India Chairman and CEO
He added that the company still had valid contracts with both, the international cricket body and the Indian one, which they would ‘continue to honour’. “However given all the volatility in the cricket world, we will have to be very careful before making any further commitments.”, he said.
Replacing Sahara India as the principal team sponsor, Star India’s contract with the BCCI started in December 2013.
(With inputs from Times of India and Indian Express.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)