Harsh Goenka shares a hilarious fan-made picture of IPL logo with Patanjali as title sponsor

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) scheduled to start on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is in a bit of a fix. After all the chaos between the Indian and Chinese Government following the demise of Indian troopers in a cross-border fight, mobile brand VIVO pulled out as the title sponsor of the popular T20 tournament.

Following VIVO’s departure, a number of companies have thrown their hat in the ring, one of which is Patanjali Ayurveda, promoted by Yoga guru Ramdev. On Tuesday, August 18, the BCCI is most likely to announce the IPL’s title sponsors with a window of seven days for the companies to bid. The board is expected to offer a 20-30 per cent discount, bearing in mind the challenging conditions.

In the meantime, Harsh Goenka, the chairman of RPG Group, had a hilarious message to share. The veteran shared a photo where the IPL logo was created, based on an exercise drill by Ramdev. He captioned the picture and wrote. “IPL logo after Patanjali becomes its title sponsor…(WA).”

Here’s Harsh Goenka’s tweet: –

Patanjali not new to sponsorship

The brand Patanjali isn’t alien to sports sponsorship by any means, but it is yet to sponsor a cricket tournament. Back during the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, the brand bagged the co-presenting rights. It has also sponsored the second season of the Pro Wrestling League. Patanjali’s interest to become IPL’s title sponsor was first reported by the Economic Times.

Back in 2017, during an interview, Patanjali told that it will only be associated with sports, which focus on Indian culture. Coca-Cola India, Paytm, Byju’s and Amazon are the other renowned companies, reported to have shown interest for IPL’s title sponsorship.

The IPL was set to be played back in March-May, but the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to play spoilsport. Due to the lockdowns in the country, the tournament had to be postponed for an indefinite time period. At the present point in time, the BCCI and the eight franchises are busy doing their homework for the event.