Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved is considering bidding for the title sponsorship for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that will be played in the UAE, a company official said. The title sponsorship slot of the IPL was vacated after the Chinese company Vivo decided to exit from the tournament. Confirming the development, Patanjali spokesperson SK Tijarawala told PTI: “We are considering this”.

If the company becomes the title sponsor, it could help the company access a global marketing platform.

“This is for Vocal for Local and making one Indian brand as global, this is the right platform. We are considering into that perspective,” he said.

However, Tijarawala also added that the company is yet to take a final call on the issue.

“We have to take a final decision, whether we would take it or not,” Tijarawala added.

According to him, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is coming with the expression of interest and it must submit its proposal by August 14.

Last week, BCCI and Vivo decided to suspend their partnership for the 2020 IPL beginning on September 19, in the UAE, amid clamour to boycott Chinese products in the wake of the Sino-India border stand-off.

The title sponsorship is a significant part of the IPL’s commercial revenue, half of which is shared equally by the franchises.

Vivo won the IPL title sponsorship rights for five years from 2018 to 2022 for a reported sum of Rs 2,190 crore, approximately Rs 440 crore per annum.