Star India is now the official sponsor of Indian cricket team

Star India Pvt. Ltd., the television network, bags sponsorship rights of the Indian cricket team covering BCCI events, International Cricket Council (ICC) events and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events, from January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2017. This brings to an end a 12-year partnership with Sahara, the existing team sponsor, whose contract expires on December 31,2013.

• The BCCI fixed the base price for India’s international matches at Rs. 1.5 crores per match.
• Star India bid Rs.1.92 crore per match for bilateral series, and Rs. 61 lakh per match for ICC-sponsored tournaments.
• Sahara bid Rs. 2.35 crore per BCCI match and Rs. 91 lakh for ICC games. The total amount bid by them stood at Rs. 252 crore in contrast to Rs. 203 crore bid by Star. ( Sahara’s bid rejected on technical grounds)
• The team sponsorship rights include the right to be called the official team sponsor, and to display a commercial logo on the men’s, women’s, Under-19 and A teams’ kits.
• Star now holds all three important rights: broadcasting, series title and team sponsorship.

• Star is also the title sponsor for BCCI’s international and domestic matches till March 31, 2014, and holds the broadcast, internet and mobile rights to Indian cricket until March 2018.

Why Sahara India was disqualified, albeit its bid was higher ?
The  reasons are not known, but there was a bone of contention among the  Sahara Group and the BCCI  on the Indian Premier League Pune franchise. In October 2013, the board terminated Sahara-sponsored IPL team Pune Warriors over franchise fees.