Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has decided to exit the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the title sponsor for this year's edition of the T-20 cricket tournament. The company faced severe backlash on social media after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Sunday that it will retain all its sponsors, including Vivo even as voices against Chinese brands continued to rise. Sentiments towards China and companies based in the country have grown averse in the wake of clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan valley back in May.

Vivo had signed a five-year deal worth Rs 2,199 crore to become the title sponsor of IPL in 2017. It had replaced PepsiCo, which had walked out of a Rs 396 crore deal in 2016. With its exit, BCCI now has a tough task of finding a new title sponsor on its hands on a short notice in a market ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. The BCCI had announced last week that the IPL 2020 will be played from September 19 to November 10.