Co-op dairy giant Amul is to be the prime sponsor of the New Zealand cricket team in the ICC Champions Trophy, which starts on June 1 in England.
This is the latest in a string of international sporting sponsorships for the Indian dairy – the largest milk brand in Asia – which associated itself with the ICC Cricket World Cup, Formula 1, and the Olympic Games in London and Rio.
The Black Caps will wear the Amul logo on the sleeve of their playing jerseys and training kits, starting with a warm-up match against the dairy’s home team India on May 28.
“We are excited about being associated with New Zealand cricket for the first time and Amul welcomes the Black Caps to the family,” said R S Sodhi, managing director of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) – the apex body of dairy unions that markets Amul.
“Coming from a strong farming and cooperative dairy culture, the New Zealand association is a perfect fit, reflecting our quality and values,” he added.
James Wear, commercial director for New Zealand Cricket, said: “We are delighted to have Amul on board and hopefully this is the beginning of a long-term relationship.”
The ODI tournament sees New Zealand ranked fourth in the world just behind India. The group matches of the New Zealand team are scheduled versus Australia on June 2, England on June 6 and Bangladesh on June 9. The top two teams of both groups will advance to the semi finals.
Amul, based at Anand in the state of Gujarat, has an annual sales turnover of Rs 27,000 crore (£3.3bn). Alongside domestic markets, it exports to 20 countries, including New Zealand, where its butter, cheese, paneer and shrikhand are available.
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