The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced that CRED, a digital community of credit worthy individuals, merchants and institutions, will be the official partner of the Indian Premier League.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced digital credit company, CRED, as one of the official partners of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The three-year deal signed by the world’s richest cricket organisation and CRED will begin from the upcoming edition of the IPL which is scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“We are very pleased to have CRED on board as the ‘Official Partner’ of the Indian Premier League 2020 to 2022. IPL is one of the most innovative sporting leagues of the world and we are delighted to have a brand as unique and innovative as CRED partner us. I am sure more people across the country will take notice of them as we embark on this exciting journey,” IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said in a statement.

CRED founder and CEO Kunal Shah said he was extremely pleased to be associated with IPL, which without a question is among the most high-profile events on the world’s sporting calendar.

“IPL represents the pinnacle of consumer experiences, powered by a global community of cricketers, fans and enthusiasts. We look forward to participating in this festival of sporting excellence, which celebrates peak performance for the individual, the team and the community,” Shah said.

Meanwhile, the 2020 season of the IPL will be played for 53 days across three venues in the UAE — Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai.

The final match will be played on a Tuesday, to make it the first-ever IPL to have its final on a weekday. The matches this season will also start 30 minutes before their original time of 4 PM and 8 PM.

The IPL 2020, which was scheduled to be played from March 29 this year, was earlier postponed to April 15 before it was suspended again due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) formally announced the postponement of the T20 World Cup, the BCCI capitalised on the opportunity to stage the IPL during the time the T20 World Cup was dated to take place.

But with the coronavirus situation escalating in India with each passing day, the Indian board decided to move the tournament out of the country. It is believed, UAE was chosen keeping in mind their prior experience of hosting a limited part of the tournament in 2014.