Team India to Play Without Jersey Sponsor in WTC Final

image-libpaiacAxar Patel, Shardul Thakur, and Umesh Yadav in new training kits | Source: Twitter 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has opted not to seek any jersey sponsors for the final of the World Test Championship 2023, scheduled to be played between India and Australia from June 7 at the Oval. 

The likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Umesh Yadav, and Cheteshwar Pujara, who have started their training in the UK, are seen donning the newly unveiled training kits, featuring Adidas' signature three stripes and the BCCI logo. 

Notably, the BCCI's agreement with Byju's for jersey sponsorship concluded in March after the ed-tech company opted out of the deal, which was originally set to continue until November, citing adverse market conditions. 

Earlier, there were reports that the BCCI officials were planning to invite interested parties through tenders for a long-term association. 

However, due to a lack of sincere response in offline conversations, they have decided against proceeding with the advertisement. Although negotiations for a short-term association were considered, they ultimately decided not to go ahead. 

Here's what a BCCI official said:

“It would only be fitting that Indian cricket engages with prestigious and long-term partners rather than going for low-key deals."

Earlier, the BCCI used to earn around 1.5 crores for each ICC match and 4.6 crores for each bilateral international match. While the value of ICC events has increased over the years, these sums are still relatively small for a financially strong board like the BCCI.  

The board, however, remains optimistic about getting a sponsor ahead of the home World Cup scheduled for October-November, especially considering their recent five-year contract with Adidas and the ongoing busy ICC calendar, featuring a white-ball world tournament every year.