The Cricket Association Nepal (CAN) has inked a mega sponsorship deal with Surya Nepal and Standard Chartered Bank worth Rs. 20 million for the next five years.

The sponsors will provide CAN Rs 3 million per year cash along with trophies and cricket t-shirts to the players. “The sponsorship deal between us worth Rs 20 million,” CAN President Binaya Raj Pandey told reporters at the press meet organised by CAN on Thursday.

The CAN has also introduced a two-day national league format including six regions. The teams will first compete in the one-day international format and will qualify to play in the two-day league. “The six regions will first play one-day internationals before playing a two day league,” Pandey told reporters. The tournament will be held at Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar and Birgunj and is scheduled to begin on February 15. The final tournament would be held in Kathmandu. The tournament would be named after Shikhar Filter Kings for the one-day and two-day tournament.

Sarmindra Roy of Surya Nepal expressed satisfaction for sponsoring cricket in Nepal. “We are honored to ink the deal with CAN,” Roy said and added, “John Players of Surya Nepal had earlier sponsored the senior Nepali team for the ACC Premier League.” Similarly, Sujit Mundal, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank said that the bank was committed to promote the game in Nepal.