Indian fantasy sports platform My11Circle has reportedly picked up the title rights of the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), which is scheduled to begin later this month.

My11Circle has reportedly spent INR 15 crore for one year’s title sponsorship of the T20 tournament, according to the Economic Times.

"We welcome My11Circle on board as title sponsor for the Lanka Premier League 2020. Their willingness to become the title sponsor of the league is a great testament to the brand LPL," Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) VP and LPL Tournament Director, Ravin Wickramaratne told ANI.

My11Circle, owned by online gaming company Games24x7, has gained massive traction during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 and is now targeting users beyond India.

"Our primary objective is to reach out to more cricket fans across regions and borders and communicate our unique 'Play with Champions' proposition to them through this partnership," Games24x7 director of brand and marketing strategy, Avik Das Kanungo told ANI. 

Five teams from the cities of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla, and Jaffna will compete in 23 matches from November 26 to December 16 over 15 days.

LPL 2020 will feature global cricket stars such as Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Lasith Malinga, and Angelo Mathews. Former Indian cricket team star Irfan Pathan will also be part of the franchise from Kandy.

Online fantasy sports firms have stepped up their marketing spends in recent years and now support some of the most popular sporting properties across the world. India’s biggest fantasy sports platform Dream11 was the title sponsor of IPL 2020.

“Fantasy sports is becoming the backbone of live sports sponsorship. The collaboration with My11Circle shows that sports sponsorship is getting stronger in the COVID era,” LPL director Sangeet Shirodkar told the Economic Times.

Colombo will take on Kandy in the opening match of LPL at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on November 26. The final will be played on December 16.