New Delhi: Adidas has filed a petition in the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) seeking to restrain India''s cricket board BCCI and its sports apparel rival Nike from using the images of Sachin Tendulkar for promotions when he is not playing for the country.

Adidas has also asked MRTPC to direct Tendulkar to furnish an undertaking that he personally endorsed Adidas although Nike sponsored the Indian cricket team''s on-field uniform.

During the proceedings, Adidas argued that BCCI granted Nike only sponsorship and licensing rights and to carry trademarks of the batsman while playing for the country.
The company says that personal endorsement rights were never a subject to this contract (between BCCI and Nike) and Nike has no right to use Sachin Tendulkar''s name for endorsements.

Adidas has made BCCI, Nike, Tendulkar and his manager Iconix respondents to the case.

The commission has listed the matter for hearing in July.

BCCI has a five-year contract with Nike for the team uniform. Nike won the sponsorship rights for the Indian cricket team in 2005 with a bid of Rs199.66 crore beating Reebok whose bid stood at Rs119.48 crore and Adidas (Rs127.50 crore).