NEW DELHI, Dec 20: India’s cricket team will be sponsored for a whopping Rs3,130 million (US$70 million) over the next four years, an official said on Tuesday. Indian domestic airline Air Sahara, won an open bid invited by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The deal marks a large increase from the previous sponsorship agreement of Rs780 million ($17 million) for the last three years, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said. It covers a minimum of 44 Tests and 110 One-day Internationals the Indians will play over the next four years, starting with the tour of Pakistan from Jan 6.

Cricket-mad India, with huge television audiences, is the biggest market for the sport in the world.—AFP