Int'l Cricket Council Signs Four-Year Merchandise Deal With Zeven

The Int'l Cricket Council awarded India-based sportswear brand Zeven a four-year merchandise contract covering 23 territories, including the "lucrative" Indian market, according to SPORTING INDIA. Zeven, jointly-owned by former Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi and former Nike Country Manager Hemachandra Javeri, has the exclusive license rights to apparel, accessories and select footwear, including ICC "replicas and lifestyle ranges." The merchandise will also sport the Zeven logo, "except in the case of replicas." Bhupathi: "This deal is quite unprecedented in the world of cricket goods, which has hardly evolved beyond replicas and fan merchandising. There also exists huge opportunity to develop cricket-inspired lifestyle merchandise like in football and in tennis." Zeven is the kit supplier to Indian Premier League side Royal Challengers Bangalore, while India cricket int'l Ravindra Jadeja is a brand ambassador (SPORTING INDIA, 4/24).