The fizz is Out! Pepsi says it does not want to be IPL title sponsor any more

IN WHAT COULD BE a difficult situation for the BCCI, the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL), soft drinks major PepsiCo has reportedly indicated that they would not like to be associated with the tournament any more.

The company has sent a notice to the league's COO, Sundar Raman, a report in Indian Express said. The report quoted unnamed sources from both BCCI and PepsiCo confirming that a notice has been sent to the world's largest cricket board.

According to the report, an IPL source said:

“Last season, Pepsi wanted to withdraw, especially in the aftermath of the spot-fixing case but the BCCI managed to convince it to stick on for another year. However, this time it was firm that it will not continue its association with the IPL, more so after the Lodha Committee recommended the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The conflict of interest issues also had an impact."

The title sponsorship for a five-year period from 2013-17 at a total consideration of Rs 396 crores. If Pepsi withdraws, then BCCI will have to find an interim title sponsor for the next two seasons.