The clouds of uncertainty loom over the Indian team jersey sponsor ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, wiped out Fantasy Sports leader Dream11 from the billion-dollar business of real-money games.
As soon as the development around the Bill proceeded with clearance from both Houses of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, the worries for Dream11 and other online money gaming platforms skyrocketed. When the President Droupadi Murmu signed the Bill, it became a law, forcing Dream11 to immediately shut down operations in India. Continuing the advertising of a banned real money gaming business is worth Crores of penalty and imprisonment. In the wake of this crisis, a whopping INR 358 crore deal was signed in 2023 for a tenure of three years after the fallout of an edtech organisation, Byju’s, the Indian team found a new lead sponsor.
Devajit Saikia, who is the secretary at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Monday (August 25) that the tie-up with Dream11 wouldn’t continue any longer. Hit hard with another blow with a history of falling sponsors, the BCCI cleared the intent to break away from the partnership with Dream11, remaining for a year, and there would be no establishment with any other similar gaming organisations. A string of talks is progressing in the direction of finalising a fresh sponsor.
Fresh Opportunity for Global Giants & Emerging Start-ups
In the aftermath of the unprecedented void of India’s lead jersey sponsors, fintech companies and Japanese automobile company Toyota have reportedly shown interest in acquiring the deal before the Asia Cup 2025 kicks off. There are just two weeks pending for the tournament to begin, but the BCCI is left with the unwanted dilemma over finding a sponsor at the eleventh hour. According to sources, the jerseys were already printed with the Dream11 logo, but the sudden step out has left the BCCI with two choices: finish a deal as soon as possible or move on during the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE without a lead sponsor, a bizarre thing to see in International cricket.
Handling the situation, the BCCI will look after forging a partnership with a credible giant company to see financial stability. The intent of the board will be to recover from the void with a long-term deal in collaboration with a reputable company. According to the grave situation, there is still a lack of a final decision. As the Asia Cup starts on September 9, there is a short window of duration, setting up the context for a massive change with the follow-up of regulations and adaptation to an urgent call for finding a credible lead sponsor.
History of Team India’s Lead Jersey Sponsors
| Sponsor | Period | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ITC Limited | 1993–2001 | First jersey sponsor; withdrew due to tobacco ad ban |
| Sahara India | 2001–2013 | Longest tenure; ended amid legal troubles |
| Star India | 2014–2017 | Media giant; exited amid regulatory issues |
| OPPO | 2017–2019 | Early exit; geopolitical and business challenges |
| Byju’s | 2019–2023 | Ed-tech leader; collapsed financially |
| Dream11 | 2023–2026 (current) | Fantasy gaming; facing legal uncertainties |
