Robi retains sponsorship right of Bangladesh cricket team

Mobile-phone operator Robi has retained the sponsorship of Bangladesh National Cricket Team for two more years.

The jersey of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and other national cricketers will feature the Robi logo until the 2019 World Cup.

With a base price of Tk 300 million, media planning company Top of Mind bought the sponsorship right of the team at Tk 414.1 million in 2015. Later Robi bought the right from Top of Mind at an undisclosed price.

The base price was double this time: Tk 600 million.

Bangladesh Cricket Board's marketing and commercial committee Chairman Kazi Inam Ahmed said Robi paid higher than the base price, but did not reveal the amount.

He said the contract also includes the sponsorship right of the national women's cricket team, under 19 team, and 'A' team.  

Robi CEO Mahtab Uddin Ahmed said, "We were together, we still are and will always be."  

In June 2012, Sahara had outbid Grameenphone, who had sponsored the Bangladesh team for eight years, to sponsor the Tigers with a $14 million four-year deal.

The BCB ended the contract with the Aamby Valley (Mauritius), an affiliate of India’s Sahara Group, 15 months before the term was to end.

Later, the rights were sold to Top of Mind for a series in 2015. The media planning company later sold the right to Robi.