UAE's national carrier Etihad Airways said it has teamed up with its Indian partner Jet Airways to once again sponsor defending champions Mumbai Indians at this year’s Vivo Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament.

The partner airlines are lending support for the third year running to one of the most successful franchise teams in the IPL and one of India’s biggest sports brands since the tournament was launched in 2008.

The duo will be the official airline partners and principal sponsors of Mumbai Indians which features some of the sport’s biggest names.

The team is captained by Indian batsman Rohit Sharma and coached by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Star players in this year’s squad include Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh, Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga, New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson, England wicketkeeper Joss Buttler and West Indies’ Lendl Simmons, who won the ICC T20 World Cup with his national team in India last week.

Mumbai Indians are playing a series of matches at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, as well as several away games during the six-week festival of top cricketing entertainment. The team’s first match is in Mumbai tonight (April 9) against the Rising Pune Supergiants.

Crowned champions of the 2013 and 2015 Indian Premier League T20, the Mumbai Indians will be looking to continue their winning streak by defending their title this year.

The tournament coincides with the May 1 debut of Etihad Airways’ long-awaited Airbus A380 on one of its thrice-daily Abu Dhabi – Mumbai flights, operating as a codeshare service with Jet Airways, and featuring the award-winning The Residence – the world’s first three-room suite on a commercial airliner, said a top official.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said: "Etihad Airways has a great sporting tradition, supporting leading teams around the world. Mumbai Indians are no exception. We are delighted to team up with our Indian partner Jet Airways to once again sponsor Mumbai Indians, arguably the best domestic sporting brand in Indian cricket."

Etihad Airways together with its Indian partner offers the largest combined frequencies to and from India of any other international airline with 254 weekly flights connecting 15 gateway cities in India with the world.

Gaurang Shetty, Jet Airways whole-time director, said: “Our partnership with the Mumbai Indians is a truly winning combination. We are excited to extend this association with the defending champions to the 2016 IPL. We look forward to another year of thrilling competition and engagement with fans as Rohit Sharma and his team set out to emulate their title-winning performance.”

Following the same format as last year, Etihad Airways’ logo will appear on the back of shirts worn by the Mumbai Indians for home matches, and the Jet Airways logo will be featured in the same position for away matches.

Under the sponsorship agreement, Etihad Airways and Jet Airways will enjoy extensive branding and messaging beamed across LED pitch-side advertising and on giant screens at Wankhede Stadium.-TradeArabia News Service