Just weeks before the Asia Cup 2025, Team India is staring at a fresh off-field storm. With both houses of the Indian Parliament passing the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill late Thursday, fantasy sports giant Dream11 – India’s lead jersey sponsor – finds itself banned, throwing India’s sponsorship landscape into uncertainty.
Dream11, which had signed a three-year deal in July 2023 to remain on India’s jersey till 2026, may now be forced to pull out. That could leave the Indian team without a sponsor logo on its kit when they take the field in the UAE from September 9.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia made the board’s position clear on Friday:
“If it’s not permissible, we’ll not do anything. The BCCI will follow every policy of the country that is framed by the central government.”
Dream11, meanwhile, admitted the impact of the bill. In a statement posted on its website, the company confirmed that all “cash games and contests have been discontinued” but urged fans to “stay tuned” as it assessed its options.
The bill criminalises the offering and promotion of real-money fantasy sports and betting platforms, with offenders facing up to five years in prison. Government figures show that such companies had stripped over $2.3 billion annually from 450 million users.
A recurring sponsor problem for India
This is not the first time Team India has been hit by sponsor turbulence. Sahara, which had its name on the jersey for over a decade (2001–2013), was dragged into regulatory issues with SEBI. Star India (2014–2017) faced a CCI probe, Oppo pulled out of its deal early in 2020 citing financial constraints, and Byju’s, which took over in 2020, ended its contract on a bitter note with legal disputes over unpaid dues.
Now, Dream11 joins that list — raising the question of who will step in next.
For now, though, fans will be watching as closely off the field as on it. Will Team India walk out in the Asia Cup with a clean jersey? Or will BCCI scramble to rope in a replacement before the September 14 showdown against Pakistan?
One thing is certain — the drama around India’s jersey is almost as intense as the cricket itself.
