Won’t remove Vivo as a sponsor of IPL, says Arun Dhamal 

Amidst the increasing tension at the LAC between the Indian army and Chinese troops, there have been widespread calls for boycotting Chinese products in India.

In the wake of these calls, the treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Arun Dhumal has clarified that Vivo, the Chinese mobile manufacturing company, will continue to be one of the sponsors of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“No, we have not decided anything on this. We need to understand the difference between helping Chinese company and their causes and taking support from Chinese companies to help India’s causes."

"If a Chinese company is taking money from Indian consumers and selling their phones and then India restrains them from taking that money to China and we pay taxes from it to the government, I am helping the Indian cause," said Dhumal to timesnownews.com.

Dhumal further clarified that it is not on the BCCI to decide whether Chinese investments should be allowed in the country, and that they cannot boycott a long existing agreement all of a sudden.

“We are not against this sentiment, let there be total boycott of goods and products from China. I will be happy if they are not collecting any money from Indian consumers but they are dutiful to pay me (BCCI) some amount from overseas consumers. Contract with Vivo was signed by our predecessors, it has formalities and we can’t just back out of it now,” he said.

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BCCI looking at ways to organise the IPL

Meanwhile, the BCCI is looking at the prospect of organising the IPL sometime in the second half of the year. With the number of COVID-19 infections rising in the country, the board could have a truncated edition of the IPL played in another country.

As for the Indian cricket team, there is no update on when they will take to the field next. With the T20 World Cup also looking unlikely, the IPL might be the only tournament on the cards in the near future.