India Cricket Board Suspends IPL Deal with Chinese Sponsor

India's cricket board has terminated its Indian Premier League sponsorship contract with Chinese mobile phone company Vivo for the 2020 tournament.

The decision comes as Indian soldiers are in a tense standoff with Chinese soldiers in East Ladakh in the Himalayas. In June, India banned 59 Chinese-linked apps, claiming that their activities endanger the sovereignty, defence and security of the country, reports AP.

"The Cricket Control Board in India and Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd have decided to suspend their partnership with the Indian Premier League in 2020," the Indian Press Trust quoted BCCI as saying.

Vivo had the title sponsorship rights for five years from 2018 to 2022 for India’s lucrative Twenty20 league. The BCCI is now likely to float a tender for new IPL title sponsors, PTI reported.

The 2020 IPL season has been rescheduled and moved to the United Arab Emirates as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in India. The league, which attracts star players from all over the world, is set to begin on September 19.