New Delhi: The Sahara India has decided to end its role in BCCI sponsorship in cricket with immediate effect, in a surprising development. It used to provide the shirts and other materials to international matches played by Indian players so far, with ‘Sahara’ flashed across their chests.

BCCI will now be hard pressed to find another such great sponsor, as Sahara has terminated its Pune franchise of Indian Premier League matches as well along with Indian cricket tours or events.

The IPL-5 auction of players is on, in Bangalore on Saturday. BCCI has refused to give and alternate player to Sahara Pune in the absence of injured middle-order batsman, Yuvraj Singh in 2012, which has irked Sahara to come out of sponsorship and Pune franchise.

A 12 years contract with BCCI by Sahara lies broken now. A four year agreement worth Rs400 crores, between Sahara and BCCI has run its course in 2010 only.

Sahara used to pay Rs3.34 crores to BCCI to print its name on Team India jerseys and shirts.

All these and more activities have moved into oblivion, in the pages of BCCI Cricket history at present.