Indian dairy giant Amul to sponsor Black Caps

Black Caps Tim Southee (left), Colin de Grandhomme and Trent Boult with R.S. Sodhi, managing director of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation. Photo / Amul.Coop Twitter

Indian dairy company Amul will sponsor the New Zealand Blackcaps cricket team for the Champions Trophy.

Stephen Brown, Executive Member of India Trade Alliance, said in a statement:

"ITA is pleased that one of its members, New Zealand Cricket, has been able to secure Amul as the prime sponsor for the forthcoming Champions Trophy.

Both Amul and New Zealand have common connections in dairy so it's a perfect fit for a partnership. With so many Blackcaps players already playing in the Indian Premier League, that bond should get even stronger."

James Wear, the commercial director for New Zealand Cricket said, "We are looking towards at least a couple of months and hopefully a long-term partnership."

In a release the India Trade Alliance said the New Zealand government, under the Colombo plan, had assisted the Indian government at the initial stages of setting up the enterprise.

The leader behind Amul, Dr Verghese Kurien, trained at Massey University Agricultural College in 1953.