BCCI deal is a massive opportunity to drive the jersey culture in India, says Adidas

Sportswear giant Adidas was recently announced as the kit sponsor for the Indian cricket team. The contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which runs through to March 2028, will give Adidas exclusive rights to manufacture kit across all formats of the game. Adidas will be the sole supplier for all match, training and travel wear for the India men’s, women’s and youth teams. Starting June 2023, Team India will be seen in the three stripes for the very first time — they will debut their new kit during the World Test Championship Finals at the Oval.

Nike was a long standing kit sponsor for the national teams for many years, but in 2020, the BCCI had signed a three-year deal with the Mobile Premier League’s sports merchandise brand MPL Sports. Toward the end of the same year, MPL pulled out of the deal before it ended, paving the way for Killer Jeans. This means that it is only after a gap of three years that a sportswear brand will be the kit sponsor for the team.

“It is very important for us to be associated with cricket and that is a matter of pride.," says Neelendra Singh, General Manager of Adidas India. "Getting our products on the athletes is another area of massive pride for us. We are associated with the best teams in the world and so, the association with cricket in India and with BCCI is another massive achievement for the brand,“ Singh adds.

Singh says that saying that as a sports company, one must care about what the country cares about. “India cares about cricket and hence, it is extremely important from a very broad lens."

He adds that cricket also brings in a wider platform for Adidas to tell its stories. "Through cricket, we have the opportunity to reach out to millions of consumers in India, and through this partnership, Adida .... will also be able to attract many new consumers to the brand.”

Singh didn’t offer any specific details of the deal, but highlights how critical it is and what kind of opportunities it will bring.

According to sources, however, this kit sponsorship will cost Adidas somewhere in the range of Rs. 250-300 crore over the next five years.

There are multiple elements to the deal. First, there is the jersey sponsorship, which in itself could cost approximately Rs 75 lakh per match. Then, the BCCI will earn a royalty of Rs 9-10 crore per year on the merchandise sold by Adidas over the next five-year cycle. Plus, there is a team element to the deal, which includes the likes of other members of the team and the support staff.

“In Adidas, we start with sports and that gives us massive credibility for fashion and culture. This is a massive opportunity to drive the jersey culture in India,” Singh says. The men's One-Day International World Cup 2023 will be the most prominent cricket tournament slated for this year. And sweetening the pot is the fact that India will host the quadrennial event. All the matches will take played in different venues across India. “The World Cup is coming in October-November —  we would be bringing in some outstanding products that are meant for athletes as well as our consumers," Singh adds.

Singh promises the jerseys will be affordable and coming soon. “Only in a matter of weeks,” he adds.