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Year after anti - China clamour, Virat Kohli to bat for Vivo as brand returns to IPL sponsorship

Ahead of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League where it will return as the official sponsor after an unceremonious departure last year, the smartphone brand Vivo has appointed Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador.

Kohli, who will be leading the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the upcoming edition of the league has been roped in to propagate awareness and promotion launch of Vivo's upcoming product. 

Notably, Vivo had withdrawn its name from the sponsorship of the IPL last year in the wake of rising anti-China sentiments in the country following a deadly clash between the armies of two nations resulting in 20 casualties in India.

After Vivo’s pullout from the league, the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) had to accept sponsorship worth well below the price Vivo was offering. 

Fantasy sports company Dream 11 sealed the deal with the BCCI for one edition and before the auction of the 14the edition, BCCI made it clear that Vivo will be returning as the principal sponsor of the cash-rich league.

The move is likely to enrage Virat Kohli and Indian cricket fans as India and China—the country of Vivo’s origin are still at loggerheads at the border. However, the return of Vivo as the sponsor of the league and Kohli singing up for the smartphone company serves as a crucial reminder that the profits the game earns for the players and the boards involved overweigh every other aspect in the longer run.

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Semi-final between India-Pakistan in 2011 was a final in itself: Simon Taufel

Umpire Simon Taufel has said that the semi-final between India and Pakistan in the World Cup 2011 in Mohali was like a final in itself. "The semi-final in Mohali was certainly a wonderful occasion and in a lot of ways, it was a final in itself. It seemed like the whole world was watching us, it seemed like the whole world had their private jets parked at Chandigarh Airport," Taufel told ICC. This was the fifth occasion when India and Pakistan were locking horns with each other in a ODI World Cup. They later played against each other in 2015 and 2019 editions as well. India have a 100% win record against Pakistan in the World Cups. The MS Dhoni-led side defeated Pakistan in the semi-final and marched into the title clash to face Sri Lanka in Mumbai. The hosts beat the Lankan Lions to win the World Cup after 28 years. India had batted first against Pakistan in the semis and managed to score 260/9 in 50 overs. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar top-scored for the team with 85 while Suresh Raina chipped in with 36 in the later part of the innings. For Pakistan, it was Wahab Riaz who was the pick of the bowlers as he scalped a fifer during the course. The home side later bundled out Pakistan for 231 to win the match by 29 runs. This was the third instance when India had made a place for themselves in the final of a ODI World Cup. They did it in 1983 and went on to win the tournament after beating West Indies under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. The second time India registered a place in a World Cup final was in 2003 under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly. The Men in Blue though suffered a defeat in the final against Australia.

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IPL 2021: Dinesh Karthik impressed with Harbhajan Singh's work ethics ahead of 14th edition

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IPL 2021: Sunrisers' T Natarajan recalls MS Dhoni's advice on variations

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