From new league partnerships and national board agreements to athlete investments and commercial deals across domestic competitions, this edition of the Global Sponsorship Roundup captures another busy week for cricket’s business landscape. The latest developments include the European T20 Premier League securing key commercial partners ahead of its inaugural season, Cricket Scotland and Cricket Ireland announcing new performance-focused partnerships, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh expanding their business interests through equity investments, and a range of broadcast, sponsorship and fan engagement agreements across franchise, domestic and masters cricket.
Franchise Leagues: Ticketing, investment and sponsorship agreements announced
Franchise leagues continued to announce commercial agreements across ticketing, investment and team sponsorship ahead of and during their respective competitions.
ETPL appoints Tixr as Official Ticketing Partner
The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) has appointed Tixr as its Official Ticketing Partner under a multi-year agreement, with Tixr serving as the league’s exclusive primary ticketing platform.
“The opening of ticket sales marks the moment ETPL belongs to the fans. For the first time, Europe has its own franchise cricket league, and supporters can be part of sporting history from the very first ball. We believe ETPL has the power to transform the cricket landscape across Europe by inspiring a new generation of players, creating lifelong fan communities and firmly placing Europe on the global cricket calendar.” – Priyanka Kaul, Co-Founder, ETPL.
“ETPL is exactly the kind of forward-thinking sporting property that aligns with Tixr’s vision of transforming the ticketing experience. Today’s fans expect greater flexibility, convenience and control, and we’re excited to help deliver a seamless journey from ticket purchase to matchday for supporters throughout the inaugural season.” – Wayne Grierson, Managing Director, UK & EMEA, Tixr.
Fireflies.ai becomes founding investor in Rotterdam Dockers
Fireflies.ai and its Founder and CEO, Krish Ramineni, have joined ETPL franchise Rotterdam Dockers as founding investors.
“We’re delighted to welcome Krish to the Rotterdam Dockers family. His passion for cricket, coupled with his remarkable journey in building one of the world’s leading AI companies, makes him a fantastic addition to our team. Having people like Krish believe in the vision of this franchise gives us even more confidence as we build something special on and off the field.” – Heinrich Klaasen, Co-owner, Rotterdam Dockers.
“Krish’s investment is about much more than capital. He brings with him deep expertise in scaling global technology businesses, building high-performance organisations and driving innovation. As we look to establish Rotterdam Dockers as a world-class sporting franchise, his strategic guidance and global perspective will be invaluable in accelerating our growth, strengthening our commercial ecosystem and creating long-term value for our partners and fans.” – Madhukar Shree, Managing Director, Rotterdam Dockers.
“As someone who has played, watched, and followed cricket closely for years, becoming a founding investor of the Rotterdam Dockers feels incredibly special for us at Fireflies. Cricket has always had a global audience, and now Europe has a real opportunity to build something massive around the game. I’m excited to bring the same mindset we used to scale Fireflies, moving fast, using AI, and challenging old assumptions, to help the Dockers compete on the field.” – Krish Ramineni, Founder and CEO, Fireflies.ai.
Firstsource joins Manchester Super Giants as official partner
Firstsource has partnered with Manchester Super Giants as an official partner for the remainder of The Hundred, with its branding appearing on the men’s and women’s playing shirts.
“We’re delighted to welcome Firstsource as an official partner of Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred. This partnership reflects the strength and ambition of our wider group, and it’s brilliant to see that translate into a deeper commercial relationship with the Super Giants family.” – Vinay Chopra, Chief Executive, RPSG Sports.
“Cricket, like business, is ultimately about making the right decisions under pressure and executing them consistently. That’s what separates good teams from great ones. At Firstsource, we call it Intelligence That Operates. It’s why this partnership with Manchester Super Giants feels like such a natural fit. We look forward to supporting the team and connecting with fans through one of the most exciting competitions in world cricket.” – Ritesh Idnani, CEO and Managing Director, Firstsource.
National Boards: Partnerships announced across player wellbeing and development
National boards announced new partnerships focused on player wellbeing, performance support and development pathways.
Cricket Scotland appoints David Lloyd Leisure as Health and Wellbeing Partner
Cricket Scotland has appointed David Lloyd Leisure as its official Health and Wellbeing Partner.
“This is a hugely important partnership for Cricket Scotland, that enhances our high-quality training environment. Supporting the health and wellbeing development of our players is a key priority for the Performance programme and creates access for our players to some outstanding facilities, which will create an uplift in the volume of provision required to prepare for and recover within international series.”
“It also creates a strong relationship with an organisation in David Lloyd Leisure that shares our commitment to performance, participation and inspiring people to lead active lives.” – Steve Snell, Head of Performance, Cricket Scotland.
“We are delighted to agree this partnership with David Lloyd Leisure. Access to the highest quality gym, pool and recovery facilities means our athletes can progress their physical preparation and recovery in the face of demanding international and domestic schedules.”
“The David Lloyd centres also offer an ideal environment away from competition for players to decompress and protect their mental health which is crucial to sustaining high performance.” – Dr Raj McCrea Routray, Head of Science and Medical, Cricket Scotland.
“David Lloyd Leisure is delighted to announce our partnership with Cricket Scotland. United by a shared commitment to health, performance and community, we look forward to supporting Cricket Scotland’s international athletes as they continue to excel on the world stage.”
“We are also pleased to welcome all Cricket Scotland members to our clubs and look forward to building a successful partnership together for years to come.” – Jaimi Hunter, Regional Sales Manager for Scotland and Ireland, David Lloyd Leisure.
Cricket Ireland partners with Square One Academy
Cricket Ireland has entered into a strategic partnership with Square One Academy to provide emerging Irish cricketers with an integrated higher education and high-performance cricket programme.
“This is about developing cricketers with a focus on personal development in an environment where cricket, education, and athlete development work hand in hand.”
“This partnership offers an opportunity for players to pursue a university degree while training within a high-performance programme that will mirror many of the environments found in the professional game.”
“Importantly, this strengthens our existing pathway. Our ambition is to provide talented Irish players with the opportunity to develop and gain valuable experiences, all while receiving an education and remaining fully integrated with cricket.”
“We’re excited about what this partnership can offer our players and the opportunities it creates for collaboration between the organisations in the years ahead. We acknowledge Square One’s ambition and the calibre of staff they have in this space of athlete and personal development.”
“The University of Brighton’s Falmer campus offers a very impressive range of sport, coaching, and sports science degree programmes, supported by state-of-the-art sporting facilities, sports science and exercise laboratories, and excellent transport links. Time is against us for this year, but there may still be opportunities in the UCAS clearing system for some of our athletes to consider, but otherwise we will be looking at enrolment in 2027.” – Pete Johnston, High Performance Coach and Emerging Player Development Lead, Cricket Ireland.
“We are delighted to partner with Cricket Ireland to create another clear pathway for talented young players.”
“Square One Academy is designed to help players continue their education while training in a high-performance cricket environment every day.”
“For emerging Irish cricketers, this partnership provides the opportunity to develop as students, people, and athletes, while remaining connected to Cricket Ireland’s wider performance pathway.”
“We are excited about what this can become for players, coaches and both organisations in the years ahead.” – Rob Ferley, Co-Founder, Square One.
“We are delighted that this new partnership between Cricket Ireland and Square One Academy will create opportunities for more talented young cricketers to pursue their sporting ambitions while benefiting from a university education.”
“At the University of Brighton, we are committed to helping students flourish academically, professionally and personally. Through our partnership with Square One Academy, student athletes can access outstanding facilities, expert support and a learning environment that enables them to succeed both on and off the field.”
“We look forward to welcoming talented players from Ireland to our Falmer campus and supporting them as they develop as students, athletes and future leaders.” – Professor Donna Whitehead, Vice-Chancellor, University of Brighton.
Endorsements: Cricketers increase investments in health and fitness ventures
Cricketers continued to expand their business portfolios through increased equity investments and founding roles in health and fitness ventures.
Virat Kohli increases stake in VAULT
Virat Kohli has increased his equity stake in VAULT by Virat Kohli as the premium fitness brand expands its franchise network.
Yuvraj Singh joins UN:BLOC as investor and founding team member
Yuvraj Singh has joined Deepak Sahni’s health-tech venture UN:BLOC as an investor and founding team member.
“Yuvi backed me when I was building Healthians, at a time when very few people did. Having him back as an investor and as part of the founding team means a great deal to me personally. But more than that, it tells me the problem we’ve been quietly working on for months matters to people I deeply respect. We’re not trying to build something loud. We’re trying to change how a patient is seen, not as someone to be managed for life, but as someone who can be understood at the root. There is a lot of work happening behind the scenes, and a long road ahead. This gives us the belief to keep walking it.” – Deepak Sahni, Founder, UN:BLOC.
“I’ve known Deepak for over twelve years, since the early days of Healthians. So when the idea of UN:BLOC was first shared with me by Deepak, I knew it had the potential to redefine how we think about health. The more I saw the scale of the problem it was trying to solve and the impact it could create, the more certain I became that I wanted to be involved from the very beginning and be part of a mission that can improve millions of lives.” – Yuvraj Singh.
Other
A sponsorship agreement was announced in support of the staging of the IMC Over-40s Cricket World Cup Guyana 2026.
Toolsie Persaud Limited becomes Silver Sponsor of IMC Over-40s Cricket World Cup Guyana 2026
Toolsie Persaud Limited and its Group of Companies has become a Silver Sponsor of the IMC Over-40s Cricket World Cup Guyana 2026.
“We are grateful to Toolsie Persaud Limited and its Group of Companies for supporting this historic international tournament. Their partnership demonstrates a strong commitment to cricket, national development and the promotion of Guyana on the world stage. Corporate support such as this is essential to delivering a world-class event for the participating teams, supporters and communities across Guyana.” – Rajendra Singh, Chairman, Cricket West Indies Masters Association.
GEPL expands broadcast partnership with Willow TV
The Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL) has expanded its broadcast distribution to North America through a partnership with Willow TV.
“When we launched GEPL, e-cricket had no stage in India and little recognition as a competitive sporting discipline. Season 2 changed that by bringing the league to millions of viewers through national television.”
“With Willow TV, we are now taking the next step by introducing India’s homegrown e-cricket league to passionate cricket audiences across the United States and Canada. This is more than an international broadcast, it’s the beginning of India’s digital sporting IP reaching global audiences and further strengthens our vision of making India the creator and exporter of world-class interactive entertainment.” – Rajan Navani, Chairman, JetSynthesys.
Delhi Premier League appoints CREX as fan engagement partner
The Delhi Premier League has appointed CREX as its official fan engagement partner for the 2026 season.
“The way fans engage with cricket has evolved significantly, with digital experiences becoming an integral part of how the game is followed and celebrated. Through our partnership with Delhi Premier League, we aim to create experiences that make fans feel closer to the tournament, whether through exclusive content, interactive engagement or opportunities that bring them into the heart of the action. At CREX, we remain committed to making every cricketing moment more immersive, engaging and rewarding for our community.” – Purushotam Rawat, CEO, CREX.
“The Delhi Premier League is committed to creating a world-class experience for players and fans alike. We’re delighted to partner with CREX to bring supporters closer to the action through innovative digital engagement.” – Rohan Jaitley, President, DDCA.
