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MUMBAI:
The Mumbai franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which
is being led by Sachin Tendulkar, has been named Mumbai Indians.
Having
paid the highest sum of $111.9 million to buy the Mumbai franchise,
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries says it will break even
within three years.
Says
Reliance Retail president and CMO R Balachandran, “Cricket
connects with people at a deep and an emotional level. It
cuts across demographics. At cricket, we can be consistent
world-beaters like industry. So there is a natural synergy
between cricket and Reliance. We, too, look to forge an emotional
connect with people. Our name is synonymous with great performance
and so is Indian cricket.”
Balachandran
adds that the company is adopting a wait-and-watch policy
but expects to break even within three years. He notes that
team sponsorships and ticket sales are the two main revenue
streams for franchises.
“For
me, the most important thing is that the first edition gets
off to a great start. The IPL marks the start of a new era
in Indian cricket. In terms of marketing, we will look at
interactive initiatives to forge a close bond with the Indian
consumer. Having said that, when you have a great product
the task of marketing becomes easier.”
Balachandran
rules out selling a stake of the team franchise to another
party at the moment.
Praising
the team icon Sachin Tendulkar, he says, "Cricketing
exploits are treasured by all in our great city, and are driven
by a fierce passion to succeed and excel. He represents the
spirit of winning which is in the DNA of all in this great
city, and winning has become the watchword of today’s
India in every field. That’s the spirit that drives this
franchise, coming from the first corporate house in India
to have sponsored a World Cup of Cricket in 1987. The Mumbai
Indians will work to build world beating talent in this great
game, and promote sport at all levels in the years to come.”
Reliance
Industries president brand strategy and marketing communication
Kaushik Roy adds that the name came about in order to push
the message of team effort. “We have seen what a team
can do. The
name has been arrived at from the city, Sachin the super achiever
and our success in 20/20 cricket. All these elements project
vision and a strong stature. Mumbai has a never-say-die attitude.
Mumbai Indians is also about having pride in our city. The
team’s colour will be blue, which is also the colour
of the national team. At the end of the day, we wanted an
endearing name with which even those abroad can relate.”
Tendulkar, who uneiled the logo of the team at a promotional
event on Saturday, said: “This moment is special for
me. The IPL teams are evenly balanced and the real excitement
starts next month. I am confident that it will be a superhit
and the great thing is that nobody knows what to expect, as
this is the first time that teams will be a mix of players
from various countries. Mumbai Indians has a mix of senior
players and youngsters. The thing about the 20/20 format is
that any team can win on a given day. So we are not taking
anybody lightly.
“I
hope that Mumbaikars will support us and we will play the
game in true spirit, which is what we stand for. The IPL is
a perfect outing for the family. There is no need for people
to skip school or work. I would say that game is for anybody
from five-year olds to 75-year olds. The IPL is also a great
stage for youngsters to play alongside seniors and learn.
When I was starting out, I had the opportunity to play alongside
the likes of Shastri and Vengsarkar.”
Mumbai
Indians has, among others, spinner Harbhajan Singh and Robin
Uthappa who fared well in Australia. Then there is Sri Lankan
opener Sanath Jayasuriya, South African all-rounder Shaun
Pollock as well as Sri Lankan pace bowlers Lasith Malinga
and Dilhara Fernando. As far as young talent goes, there is
Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane, Pinal Shah and Yogesh Takawade.
When asked why there were no Australians in the side, Balachandran
says that the aim was to see that whoever was chosen would
be available for the entire tournament.
The
Mumbai Indians will play their first game against the Bangalore
Royal Challengers in Mumbai on 20 April 2008. The team will
then travel to Chennai on 23 April to play the Chennai Super
Kings in its first away fixture.
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