By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Crunchyroll, the global anime streaming leader, has been announced as the Associate Team Sponsor for the Proteas Men’s tour of India.
South Africa and India are set to clash in a two-test series beginning 14 November in Kolkata, the second test will take place in Guwahati from 22 November.
Crunchyroll’s logo will feature prominently on the back of the Proteas Men’s playing shirts across all formats – test, one-day international (ODI), and Twenty20 International (T20I).
CSA Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi Moseki, said; “CSA takes pride in welcoming Crunchyroll as the official team sponsor for the upcoming India Series.
“With anime becoming one of the world’s most dominant entertainment forces, soon to have over a billion viewers, we see this partnership as a celebration of shared values and a drive to connect with global audiences.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Cricket South Africa for this exciting series with India,” said Kartik Gandhi, Senior Vice President, Growth & Planning at Crunchyroll.
“Cricket and anime both capture the intensity of competition and the joy of shared fandom. This partnership strengthens our ongoing focus on bringing together the worlds of sports and anime — combining the spirit of anime with cricket across two dynamic markets with growing anime fandoms — India and South Africa.”
The upcoming tour to India coincides with the 34th anniversary of South Africa’s readmission to the international stage, where in 1991, India became the first country to host a South African cricket team after South Africa was banned from international cricket.
SA was banned in 1970 by the International Cricket Council (ICC), after a resolution taken against the then apartheid government. The Proteas played their first ODI against India at Eden Gardens, Calcutta, on November 10.