Off-highway tyre major Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT) on Monday said it has become a "league partner" of Australian T20 cricket league, KFC Big Bash League (BBL), joining the club of marquee names as the second highest category of sponsors after the title sponsor. The company has upgraded and extended its partnership with the BBL following an agreement signed with Cricket Australia.

The partnership signed in 2018 was initially envisaged up to 2021, but will now continue up to 2023, BKT said in a statement. As league partner, BKT will receive several additional rights, including expanded visibility on LED boards, vision screens, boundary ropes and umpires' uniforms, it added. "BKT will also receive the right to create several activations, both at venue and outside venue, as well as comprehensive digital support from Cricket Australia. The BKT brand will also continue to be highly visible during international matches and during fan events organized over the course of the season", the company said. 

Commenting on the development, BKT Joint Managing Director Rajiv Poddar said, "We have partnered with the BBL because it gives us the opportunity to strengthen our brand awareness in a very important market - Australia, but also because we share with the BBL, BKT's philosophy of "Growing Together". Australia is a key market for BKT and its products have been sold in the country for over ten years through local distributor Tradefaire  which supplies large-size tires to the agricultural and mining sectors. PTI RKL MR