Chennai, Aug 20: TVS Motor Company would sponsor next month's Challenger Series while Pepsico would continue to sponsor India's home matches, cricket board sources said here today. BCCI's financial committee, which met here this morning, also decided to take a fresh look for furthering its financial growth.
According to sources, the board has decided to accept the offer of Chennai-based TVS to sponsor the five-day Challenger Series for the N K P Salve Trophy at Bangalore from September 10 to 14 for a record sum of Rs 2.15 crore and the Zal Irani Cup tournament in Chennai from September 18 to 22 for Rs 65 lakh.
Sources also indicated that Pepsi's offer of Rs 1.15 crore for each match of the home season (two tests and ten one-day internationals) was the lone and highest bid and the soft drink major's association with the board would continue for yet another season. Pepsi has quoted Rs 30 lakh more than their earlier contract with the BCCI.
The meeting chaired by well-known industrialist, N Srinivasan, was attended by K P Kajaria of National Cricket Club of India, Shankar (Karnataka State Cricket Association) and Jagmohan Dalmiya, S K Nair and Kishore Rungta, president, secretary and treasurer of the BCCI respectively, besides Purushotham Rungta, a special invitee.
Kamal Morarka (central), Rajiv Shukla (north) and Niranjan Shah (west) did not report for the meeting. TVS, the two-wheeler major had signed Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador and then enlarged its interest in the sport by sponsoring the seven-match one-day international series against the West Indies last year.
They had also sponsored the tri-series in Dhaka in April featuring South Africa, India and Bangladesh. Bureau Report