Hyderabad: International airline Emirates will be the team sponsor of Deccan Chargers for three Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons.

Gayatri Reddy, co-owner of the Deccan Chargers, and Orhan Abbas, Emirates' vice president, India and Nepal, signed the sponsorship deal at a joint news conference here ahead of the IPL-5 beginning April 4.

"Through this sponsorship, we have the chance to connect with the people who we connect to 122 destinations and show our ongoing commitment to a nation which Emirates has been serving since we began operating in 1985," said Abbas.

For Emirates, which serves India with 185 weekly flights, the country is a vital market. It connects 10 points in India with flights to Dubai and its global network spanning six continents.

"We are proud to have a leading brand like Emirates as our team sponsor for the next three seasons of the IPL," said Gayatri Reddy of the Hyderabad-based Deccan Chargers, winner of the 2009 IPL.

As a sponsor, Emirates will enjoy a range of rights and entitlements to display their officials logo on platforms that include the team's apparel, in stadia branding, for premium hospitality and match tickets, official merchandise and access to Deccan Chargers' players.

"Hyderabad is an online city for us. It is natural for us to be somewhere where we operate. Another reason is that Deccan Chargers is a winning team. It is a strong team," Abbas said while explaining the reasons for choosing the Hyderabad team.

The airlines, which earlier sponsored Kings XI Punjab, operates three flights a day from Hyderabad to Dubai.

Emirates spends one percent of its revenues on sports and culture sponsorship. Football is the leading sport for the sponsorship while cricket is one of the top five.

Roger Duthie, head of sponsorship, Emirates, said the sports sponsorship helped Emirates to build brand awareness and reap commercial benefits in several markets like Britain and Australia.

"We wanted to be involved with cricket. We know Indians love cricket and we want to show we care and share your passion for the sport," he said.

While declining to reveal the value of the sponsorship contract, he said Emirates would pay bonus if Deccan Chargers go on to win the IPL. It will also offer international flights to the players.

Emirates is the official partner of International Cricket Council (ICC) and has the sponsorship rights to all major ICC tournaments including World Cup, Champions Trophy and World Twenty20. It is also sponsoring ICC umpires till 2015. (IANS)