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India’s cricket team may not have a lead sponsor for the upcoming 2025 Men’s Asia Cup, starting September 9, after Dream11 and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) discontinued their deal, according to people aware of the matter.
This follows the ban on real money games (RMG) through the recently passed Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025.
According to Press Trust of India (PTI), BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the deal with Dream11 has ended and the BCCI is putting the process in motion to get a new title sponsor for various national teams.
“There is a 50-50 chance of there being no main jersey sponsor for Team India this Asia Cup,” said a person close to the development. He added, “The BCCI might float a new tender soon, but it may be for other tournaments. An update could come in two-three days.”
Email sent to the BCCI did not elicit a response.
Another person said the ban on RMG firms was unexpected, and this became a last-minute decision for the BCCI.
“It seems rather tough to float a tender and close the deal for the title sponsor for the India team within the stipulated time ahead of the Asia Cup in September. The ban on gaming firms was unexpected, and this is last minute. If the sponsor doesn't come through, the space may remain empty. However, the teams will try their best to close the deal,” the second person mentioned above said.
In July 2023, Dream11, a fantasy sports brand, acquired the rights to become the BCCI's lead sponsor in a three-year deal valued at ₹358 crore, taking over from educational technology venture Byju's, according to media reports.
If the BCCI is unable to find a replacement for Dream11, the front of Team India's jersey may not display any brand name in place of the lead sponsor during the upcoming tournament hosted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Some media reports state that Team India’s jersey with Dream11 has already been printed, which won’t be used for the tournament.
Similar to Dream11, the BCCI had announced its multi-year partnership with Adidas as the official kit sponsor for the Indian cricket team in 2023.
In general, apart from the lead sponsor, the official kit sponsor is also featured in front of Team India’s jersey.
