IPL 2020: To break taboo, Rajasthan Royals to sport logo of a sanitary pad brand on their jersey

To flag off their preparations for the much-awaited thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals landed in Dubai via a charter flight on August 20. Amid the pandemic, the T20 extravaganza had to be shifted to UAE for its feasibility.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak across the globe, players of all teams will be in a bio-secure bubble during the course of the tournament. The Royals squad, covered in protective gear and abiding safety measures, posed for pictures upon their arrival in UAE. It will be mandatory for all players to undergo six-day isolation along with testing on days 1,3 and 6.

Ahead of their IPL 2020 campaign, Rajasthan had received applause for their decision to partner with a sanitary pad brand. On Independence Day on 15th August, the franchise had announced their association with Niine– a sanitary pad brand– to spread awareness of safe menstrual hygiene practices.

🙏 @NiineIndia, welcome to the #RoyalsFamily! 💗

This #IndependenceDay onwards, let's free ourselves from period stigma once and for all. 👊 #HallaBol | #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/Wb8ri3Zb5s

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) August 15, 2020

Rajasthan Royals poised to be the vehicle that will help educate men

Royals will sport the brand’s logo on the back of the jersey during IPL 2020 and will try to break the ‘period stigma’ in the process. The franchise stated that their sponsorship with Niine brand will “help educate men… on a grand scale”.

India has a long history with social taboos involving menstruating women. On many occasions, especially in the rural areas of the country, menstruating women are made to sleep separately and are even banned from entering temples.

“Cricket undoubtedly is the most-watched sport in the country and provides the perfect platform to address health and drive social change,” the Royals said in a statement. “Rajasthan Royals are poised to be the vehicle that will help educate men through the IPL 2020 season by building not only awareness but also understanding on a grand scale,” the statement added.

The silence is deafening. The time to talk periods, is now.

We're proud to announce @NiineIndia as our principal sponsor for #IPL2020. 🙌#HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily pic.twitter.com/uL9aQuO04U

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) August 15, 2020

Royals, equipped with many world-class stars like Steve Smith, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, will aim for their second IPL trophy in this year’s edition, scheduled to start from September 19th.  Although there’s no official announcement yet, Smith, Archer, Stokes and Buttler are likely to miss Royals’ opening fixtures due to England-Australia white-ball series. Jaydev Unadkat might lead the side as an interim skipper in Smith’s absence.