Lead sponsor vacancy after Dream11 withdrawal
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has launched its tender process for Team India’s lead sponsorship rights, following the abrupt exit of Dream11 last month. Dream11’s association ended early after the government banned real-money fantasy platforms under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025.
The men’s team is scheduled to play in the Asia Cup later this month, while the women’s team competes in the ICC World Cup starting September 30 in Guwahati. With the new process just beginning, it remains unclear whether India will have a jersey sponsor in time for these tournaments.
Strict conditions on bidders
The bid document released by the BCCI lays out tough restrictions on who can apply.
“should not be engaged in online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services in India or anywhere in the world, and should not provide any online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services to any Person in India, and should not have any investment or ownership interest in any person engaged in betting or gambling services in India”.
— the bid document says
“To clarify, a bidder, including any of its Group companies, engaged in any activities/business that is prohibited under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, is not permitted to submit a bid,”
— the BCCI says
The rules also bar any firms involved in cryptocurrency, including exchanges, tokens, or related services.
Prohibited brand categories
The board has excluded entire categories of brands from the process.
“Alcohol Products, Tobacco; and one which is likely to offend public morals such as, including but not limited to, pornography”.
— the following brand categories are not permitted
Surrogate branding attempts, where companies apply under alternate brand identities, have also been explicitly banned.
Eligibility: only ‘reputed firms’ with high turnover
In its notice, the board made it clear that bids would only be accepted from ‘reputed firms’. Alongside reputation, a strict financial criterion has been set.
“The average turnover of each bidder for the last 3 (three) years must be at least INR 300,00,00,000 (Indian Rupees Three Hundred Crore only) as per the last 3 (three) audited accounts or the average net worth of each bidder for the last 3 (three) years must be at least INR 300,00,00,000 (Indian Rupees Three Hundred Crore only) as per the last 3 (three) audited accounts.,”
— the BCCI release states
This equates to a minimum annual turnover of ₹300 crore ($34.06 million) over the past three years.
Timeline and application fees
Interested companies must purchase the Expression of Interest (EOI) documents by paying a non-refundable fee of ₹5,00,000 ($5,676.66) plus GST. The deadline for bid submission is September 16.
BCCI’s clear stand on gaming firms
The current restrictions were put in place following Dream11’s exit, which BCCI Secretary Jay Shah’s office had previously indicated was unavoidable under the new law.
“Our stand is very clear. With government regulations in place, the BCCI cannot continue its sponsorship relationship with Dream11 or any such other gaming company. Under the new restrictions, there is no scope, and we are facing a roadblock with Dream11,”
— India Today quoted Saikia as saying
History of challenges with Indian team sponsors
This is not the first turbulence in India’s jersey sponsorship history. Over the past two decades, several lead sponsors have faced crises:
- Sahara, the long-term backer from 2001, collapsed under SEBI scrutiny by 2011.
- Star India, sponsor from 2014–2017, was hit by antitrust investigations and financial pressures.
- Oppo exited amid geopolitical tensions between India and China.
- Byju’s, once India’s most celebrated edtech firm, defaulted on payments and eventually collapsed under debt.
Now, the BCCI is seeking a fresh partnership under stricter guardrails — aiming to secure stability, credibility, and compliance with India’s new gaming and sponsorship laws.
