Mahindra and Mahindra will be the title sponsor of the Sri Lanka Premier League which begins on August 11. With the association, the 'Man of the Match' in all 24 matches will be called 'Mahindra Man of the Match', while the ‘Man of the Tournament’ will win himself an XUV5OO.
Commenting on the development, Upali Dharmadasa, president, Sri Lanka Cricket said, “Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is proud and honoured to have on board, one of India's leading business houses as the title sponsor of the Sri Lanka Premier League which shall now be referred to as the Mahindra Sri Lanka Premier League (or the Mahindra SLPL). Since the Mahindra brand is also a household name in Sri Lanka, we believe it is the perfect platform to take the message of the Sri Lanka Premier League, which is 'Gama Rata Lokeya, Eka Karana' or 'Province, Country, World, Becomes One'."
S P Shukla, president, group strategy and chief brand officer, Mahindra Group explained that Sri Lanka was a strategic market for the Mahindra Group, which is already an established name in the country. He added,"And what better medium than cricket to connect and engage with audiences as it is the most followed sport in the sub continent with a fan base of approximately 1.5 billion fans across India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh alone."
Ruzbeh Irani, chief executive, international operations, (automobile and farm sectors), Mahindra and Mahindra, said, “We are thrilled to be associated with the Sri Lanka Premier League. With the leading lights of world cricket in the fray, we are positive that this League will be a huge success. Mahindra has been actively associated with various sporting events and partnering SLPL endorses Mahindra’s commitment to promote a sporting and active lifestyle."
This association adds to Mahindra's sporting associations with football (Celtic football club) and racing (Canadian NASCAR and the Moto GP).
