Nissan turns to cricket to lure Indian buyers

Nissan Motor Co has entered into an eight-year sponsorship agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC), a company executive said, in a bid by the Japanese car maker to boost its small market share in cricket-crazy India.

Nissan's passenger vehicles sales in India fell 24 percent to 19,563 in the six months from April to September, compared with the same period a year ago, giving it a 1.5 percent share of the market, industry data showed.

India is forecast to become the world's third-largest car market by 2020.

The slowdown in India sales has forced Nissan and its global carmaking alliance partner Renault SA to cut several hundred jobs in the country and reduce production at its plant near Chennai.

ICC is cricket's world governing body and India is a key member and its biggest revenue contributor.