Etihad Airways and Jet Airways are continuing their sponsorship as official airline partners and principal sponsors of defending champions Mumbai Indians at this year’s Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 cricket tournament.

The partner airlines are lending support for the third year running to one of the most successful franchise teams in the IPL and one of India’s biggest sports brands since the tournament was launched in 2008.

The team is captained by Indian batsman Rohit Sharma and coached by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Star players in this year’s squad include Indian spin bowler Harbhajan Singh, Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga, New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson, England wicketkeeper Joss Buttler and West Indies’ Lendl Simmons, who won the ICC T20 World Cup with his national team in India last week.

The team’s first match was in Mumbai Saturday night (April 9) against the Rising Pune Supergiants.

The Mumbai Indians were crowned champions of the 2013 and 2015 IPL T20.

The six-week festival of cricketing entertainment coincides with the May 1 debut of Etihad Airways’ long-awaited Airbus A380 on one of its thrice-daily Abu Dhabi-Mumbai flights, operating as a codeshare service with Jet Airways.

Etihad Airways and Jet Airways offer the largest combined frequencies to and from India of any other international airline with 254 weekly flights connecting 15 gateway cities in India with the world.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, said: “Etihad Airways has a great sporting tradition, supporting leading teams around the world. Mumbai Indians are no exception. We are delighted to team up with our Indian partner Jet Airways to once again sponsor Mumbai Indians.

Gaurang Shetty, Jet Airways whole-time director, said: “Our partnership with the Mumbai Indians is a truly winning combination. We are excited to extend this association with the defending champions to the 2016 IPL.”