India, Feb. 19 -- After dropping out in 2020 amid broader anti-China sentiments in the Indian market, Chinese smartphone giant Vivo is back as the title sponsor for this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2021), which is expected to begin in April. Vivo had pulled out as the title sponsor last year after many had questioned a Chinese company sponsoring such a marquee event, especially given the India-China geopolitical standoff that saw over 220 Chinese apps being banned.

While Vivo was replaced by Tencent-backed online fantasy sports startup Dream 11 in 2020, this year neither Dream 11 nor Unacademy - which was also a major sponsor for IPL 2020 - did not impress the Chinese electronics company with their bids for the sponsorship rights t...