Leading Indian fantasy gaming and eSports platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) has announced its association with Cricket Ireland and ITW Consulting Private Limited to become the shirt sponsor for the Irish men’s cricket team.

The deal will see the Irish cricket team sporting the MPL logo on the front of their jerseys for their tour of England, scheduled to begin on July 30. The series will feature Ireland facing England in three ODIs at the Rose Bowl Cricket ground.

ITW Consulting, Ireland’s shirt sponsorship rights holder until 2022, has brought in MPL along with leading global car manufacturer SKODA as the new jersey sponsors.

Sai Srinivas, the co-founder and CEO of MPL believes this partnership will aid in the return of cricket after the COVID-19-induced hiatus that saw sporting activities being suspended for more than three months globally.

“As One-Day International cricket finally returns, we are glad to be a part of its comeback by associating with the Ireland men’s cricket team when they take on England,” said Srinivas.

“MPL stands for unearthing and showcasing talent, which the Ireland team has an abundance of. We look forward to the upcoming three-match series excitedly,” he added.

Dennis Cousins, the commercial director of Cricket Ireland, emphasised the success and evolution of the Irish cricket team as a global brand in recent years.

“This deal is a testament to the growing strength and profile of the Cricket Ireland brand globally, and has already attracted two brand associations in MPL and ŠKODA that will add weight to our reputation in the sports market,” said Cousins.

MPL will replace Turkish Airlines as the sponsor for Ireland’s men’s team. Alongside sponsoring the jerseys, MPL was also the co-presenting sponsor for the broadcast of the England-West Indies series. 

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli and actress Tamannaah Bhatia are the brand ambassadors of MPL, which boasts a user base of over 40 million.