Adidas forays into cricket equipment

New Delhi:

Global sportswear and apparel major Adidas on Friday announced its foray into cricket equipment business in the country and said it plans to become a leader in the over Rs 100-crore organised cricket gears market in the next five years.

The company's long-standing brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar was the main design advisor for the new range.

"It was only a matter of time before we ventured into the organised cricket hardware market in a cricket-crazy nation like India. We aim to be a leader in the over Rs 100 crore organised market within the next five years," Adidas India Managing Director Andreas Gellner said.

He said during the first two years, Adidas is aiming to capture at least a double-digit share of the organised cricket equipment.

The marketing campaign for the new range will be spearheaded by Sachin Tendulkar.

"Sachin has more than a decade long association with our company, specially in promoting our footwear range. There could not be a better brand ambassador for promoting our new cricket products than him," Gellner said.

Adidas' cricket equipment range includes bats, balls, apparels, pads, gloves, helmets and other accessories.

The company had entered the cricket hardware market globally earlier this year.

In India, Adidas' new range would be sold through 250-300 sales points, including 40-50 Adidas exclusive stores and other specialised sports outlets and will be priced between Rs 549 to Rs 13,999, Gellner said.

The company would also be launching a marketing and advertising campaign to back its new foray.

"Although the organised market for cricket equipment and accessories is small compared with the non-branded segment, it is growing fast. We want to utilise the potential this provides," Gellner added.

Adidas has currently over 425 outlets across the country.