You would be forgiven for mistaking the bunch huddled together at Pallekele in Sri Lanka to be the Indian cricket team. What with their blue Sahara training gear. Upon closer glance you will realise that it’s actually the Bangladesh side.
In June this year, the Bangladesh Cricket Board sold sponsorship rights for $14 million for four years to Aamby Valley, an affiliate of the Sahara India Parivar.
Meanwhile, India-based property developer Homestead will be sponsoring the Sri Lankan Cricket Team for the next three years.
The recently concluded Sri Lankan Premier League saw all seven teams as well as the title sponsorship being bought by Indian business houses.
When it comes to cricket, it clearly seems to be ‘love thy neighbour’ for corporate India.
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Aside from their many on-field batting partnerships, Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar
Sangakkara also present a joint defence in the kitchen. The duo are co-owners of a restaurant in Colombo called the ‘Ministry of Crab’ that specialises in – you guessed it – crab!The story gets even better.
During the course of the ongoing World T20, the pair is putting both their fame and their restaurant to good use. Along with online marketplace Trekurious, Jayawardene and Sangakkara have organised a dining experience to raise funds for charity. At a price tag of $1950, you can dine with the stylish Sri Lankan batsmen at their restaurant and be satisfied knowing it was for a noble cause.
All the money raised will be used to build new cricket facility in a selected school based in the war-affected North East of Sri Lanka.
