Chinese mobile company VIVO and BCCI suspend their partnership for IPL 2020

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Chinese smartphone maker Vivo Communication Technology Co’s Indian arm Vivo India on Thursday decided to suspend their partnership for the 2020 season of the Indian Premier League. BCCI informed about the development through an official press release.

“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd have decided to suspend their partnership for Indian Premier League in 2020,” the release stated.

The Indian Premier League season will begin this year from September 19th and the final will be played on November 10th. The tournament will be held in the United Arab Emirates across three venues at Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The move comes after BCCI and the IPL Governing Council were both criticised for retaining Vivo as the title sponsor at a time when anti-China sentiment is running high in India. The government has banned Chinese apps, placed stringent restrictions on Chinese investments, and is reviewing partnerships Indian educational institutions have with Chinese institutions. All of this comes in the backdrop of tensions between the two countries along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh where a scrap between the two armies resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese ones.

BCCI plans to float a tender to invite a new title sponsor for just this year, for the league.