Cricket bats for Rs 20,000 each

The UK-based Mongoose Cricket Ltd is planning to invest £2 million (about Rs 13.6 crore) to promote its sports products and brand.

It will use part of the money to hire Indian cricket players for endorsements, and in other marketing activities.

The premier sports goods company on Friday launched a bat which it claimed was much better than the competition, designed specifically for the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament.

For the moment, 100 bats in two categories are being launched in India, one for Rs 17,000 each and the other at Rs 23,000 each. "Currently, these bats are manufactured in the UK and going forward, we will manufacture in India," said Marcus Codrington Fernandez, director, Mongoose Cricket Ltd.

These bats will be available across 30 retail outlets, which will be increased to 200-300 by September, added Fernandez. "We are also planning to launch our own branded retail outlets," he said.

Speaking to Business Standard on the sidelines of the product's launch, Fernandez said the company was looking at acquiring Indian cricket players to become its ambassadors.

"The proposed £2 million will also be used for product developments, stocks and other marketing activities this year," he said.

He hoped some of the top players would endorse his product. "Indian cricketers are far too expensive, but provide a lot of value. I would love to have somebody like Sachin Tendulkar or Virender Sehwag use the Mongoose bat," he said.

In the coming third edition of the Indian Premier League, Mathew Hayden, who represents Chennai Super Kings, along with Andrew Symonds (Deccan Chargers) and West Indian Dwayne Smith (Deccan Chargers), would be using the Mongoose bat, said Fernandez.

"This will be our beginning in India. In September, the company is planning to launch long-blade bats," he added.

The handle of the Mongoose bat is described as being 43 per cent longer and the blade 33 per cent shorter than the conventional bat. "Since there is no splice, the sweet spot is increased by 120 per cent," he said.

The company is also looking at entering into merchandise by 2011, by foraying into the clothing industry, he said.