By IANS
Mumbai : Kingfisher Airlines has been chosen the official carrier for the DLF Indian Premier league (IPL) cricket tournament beginning April 18 in Bangalore.
Kingfisher will extend its services to all IPL teams and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials during the tournament.
According to an announcement by the airline Thursday, there will be dedicated check in counters, access to VIP lounges, an exclusive ground handling team at all airports and a special help line number for queries.
“I am very pleased to choose Kingfisher as official airline partner,” said Lalit Modi, the DLF IPL chairman and commissioner.
Kingfisher Airlines has already bagged the rights for being the official umpire partner of the IPL for $26.5 million (Rs.1.06 billion) for five years.
The DLF IPL tournament will begin with some high voltage action expected between Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders and Vijay Mallya’s Royal Challengers of Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the Karnataka capital.
The 44-day tournament will feature eight teams. Each team will play others on home and away basis with seven matches at home.
The top four teams will contest the semi-finals May 30 and 31, and the victorious semi-finalists will meet in the grand final June 1, which will be played out in Mumbai.
The exclusive franchise rights for the eight city IPL teams were won by Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders, Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia’s Mohali, Mukesh Ambani’s Mumbai Indians, GMR’s Delhi Daredevils, UB Group’s The Royal Challengers of Bangalore, Indian Cements’ Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chronicle’s Hyderabad Chargers and Emerging Media’s Jaipur Royals.