The sponsorship amount is the highest ever in the history of Nepali sports overtaking Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd, who had struck Rs 40 million three-year deal with Surya Nepal Golf Tour in 2014. Gorkha Brewery is the next big sponsors who also inked Rs 30 million three-year deal with All Nepal Football Association in 2011 to organise Red Bull National League.

The sponsorship has been divided into two categories: Rs 8.5 million for senior men’s and women’s national teams and Rs 7 million for Twenty20 National Tournament. The telecom giants of Nepal will provide the cricket governing body with annual Rs 8.5 million, which must be utilised exclusively in the development of senior national cricket teams. Another segment of Rs 7 million will be used to organise the Nepal Telecom Twenty20 Championship Trophy. CAN Acting-president Deepak Koirala informed that they have already set Rs one million for the Twenty20 champions and Rs 700,000 for the losing finalists.

A clause in the agreement also states that CAN must disburse at least 25 percent of the Rs 8.5 million sponsorship amount as allowance for the senior men and women’s national teams. “That allowance will be separate from the match fees we provide during tournaments,” clarified CAN Acting-president Koirala. Koirala and Nepal Telecom Managing Director (MD) Buddhi Prasad Acharya exchanged the memorandum of understanding of the sponsorship on Monday. On the occasion, Acharya handed over the Nepal Telecom-imprinted national team jersey of skipper Paras Khadka.

CAN Chief Executive Officer Bhawana Ghimire lauded Nepal Telecom for coming up with a historical sponsorship. “We hope that this association will help propel Nepali cricket to even greater heights,” said Ghimire. Nepal Telecom MD Acharya said: “We are proud of the Nepali cricket team for what they have achieved so far and hope the game will bring more pride to the nation in the days ahead.”

n Skipper Paras Khadka displays a new national cricket team jersey in Kathmandu on Monday.