KKCL replaces MPL as Indian cricket team’s official sponsor for 5 months

With the deal in place, team India’s jersey will use ‘Killer’ logo on the right upper chest, till 31 May 2023.

MPL was roped in as a kit sponsor by the BCCI for three years in November 2020, and the deal was till the end of December 2023. MPL was to pay the BCCI ₹65 lakh per match and ₹3 crore per year as the merchandise partner (a total of ₹9 crore).

However, MPL started looking for a replacement last year as it found it challenging to continue with the deal.

The BCCI, it is learned, wasn’t very keen to reassign the rights, and it was only after MPL refused to continue, and had agreed to sign with KKCL. However, the deal is not till December, but only till the end of May.

Interestingly, KKCL has got a partial assignment, as it will only be using the logo, while the kit manufacturing will remain with the MPL for now.

KKCL, a listed retail company, also owns brands like Integriti, Lawmanpg3, Easies, and Desi Belle. Its flagship brand ‘Killer’ jeans has been a part of the cricketing arena with on-ground branding.

“It is a matter of immense pride for us to be on the India jersey,” said Hemant Jain, Joint MD, KKCL. “As a homegrown brand, we are excited to be offered this opportunity to showcase ourselves on one of the most prestigious assets in world sport.”

ITW Catalyst facilitated the deal with the BCCI.

This is not the first reassignment of sponsorship rights for the BCCI recently. Last year, Paytm decided to end its four-year partnership with the board, as its total sponsor, and the rights were assigned to Mastercard at the same value ( ₹3.8 crore per match).

Even Byju’s the jersey sponsor for team India, which had got the rights reassigned from Oppo, is looking at terminating the deal mid-way, but the BCCI hasn’t agreed to it yet.