BCCI Seeks New Lead Sponsor as Dream11 Exits

NEW DELHI: Team India is anticipated to participate in the approaching Asia Cup without a primary sponsor. This follows Dream11’s withdrawal from its agreement with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) during the prior month.

On September 2nd, the BCCI initiated the search for a new partner by formally announcing an invitation for expressions of interest (EOI) regarding the national team’s lead sponsorship entitlements.

Reportedly, prospective bidders must acquire the EOI documents by September 12th, with September 16th set as the final submission date. The Asia Cup is scheduled from September 9th to September 28th.

The sponsorship gap arose after the Indian government’s recent passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, which outlaws real-money gaming—Dream11’s core business.

Subsequently, Dream11 notified the BCCI of its intent to exercise the exit clause within their contract. This deal, initially slated to last until 2026 with an estimated value of USD 44 million (INR 358 crore), was thus prematurely ended.

The BCCI has encountered similar situations previously. In 2019, mobile manufacturer OPPO terminated its contract three years ahead of schedule, leading to ed-tech company Byju’s taking over.

Dream11 then entered a three-year arrangement in 2023, which has now been curtailed.

In its latest EOI, the BCCI specified restrictions for potential sponsors, prohibiting alcohol brands, betting or gambling platforms, cryptocurrency entities, online real-money gaming, tobacco firms, and any products or services deemed offensive to public decency, including pornography.

Meanwhile, the Indian team is slated to travel to the United Arab Emirates on September 4th, where they are positioned in Group A alongside Oman, Pakistan, and the UAE, the host nation.

They will begin their campaign against the UAE on September 10th in Dubai, then face Pakistan on September 14th at the same venue, and conclude the group stage against Oman on September 19th in Abu Dhabi.

Group B includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage, with the leading two teams from that stage competing in the final on September 28th.

India’s Asia Cup Squad:

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vc), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube , Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy , Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson

Reserve players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal