Sky Sports will show the Indian Premier League exclusively live for the first time.

Viewers will be able to enjoy 60 live matches each year, as Sky Sports adds the drama, colour and excitement of the IPL for at least three years from 2015.

The agreement strengthens Sky’s unrivalled schedule of live year-round cricket which includes England home and away, plus coverage from Australia, India, South Africa, the West Indies and New Zealand.

From next year, only Sky Sports viewers be able to enjoy the world's top four domestic Twenty20 cricket competitions; the IPL, the ECB's NatWest T20 Blast, Australia's Big Bash League and South Africa’s Ram Slam T20 Challenge. 

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “It’s the cricket competition that everyone is talking about and from next year, only on Sky Sports can viewers follow the IPL live.  Sky Sports’ cricket coverage has never been stronger, offering something for everyone including all the major Test playing nations and all the best players.  We can’t wait.  Before then, our cricket continues with the best action including ICC World Twenty20 next month and England’s summer Tests against Sri Lanka and India.”

Launched in 2008, the IPL features many of the world’s best players in a two month competition contested across India, with matches drawing huge crowds that create electric atmospheres.  Last year's tournament was won by Sachin Tendulkar’s team, the Mumbai Indians, with Tendulkar ending his six-year IPL career with his first Indian Premier League trophy win.   

The agreement is the latest in a series of long-term rights announcements made by Sky Sports, strengthening its unrivalled portfolio of live sport across six channels.  Last month, Sky announced agreements for British & Irish Lions, Super League, WWE, Scottish Football, Cricket New Zealand and speedway and last week a seven-year deal for live PGA Tour golf.

The IPL deal reinforces Sky’s unrivalled schedule of year-round cricket.  Sky Sports viewers can enjoy live coverage of every major cricket Test playing nation until 2016, which includes England at home and abroad, ICC events, long term deals for cricket from South Africa, Australia, West Indies, India and New Zealand, women’s international matches, and the best of the English domestic season, plus a range of additional programming.