Just weeks before the Asia Cup 2025 kicks off in Dubai, Indian cricket has been jolted by an unexpected development. Dream11 the country’s biggest fantasy sports platform and one of BCCI’s most visible commercial partners has pulled out as the official team sponsor, leaving the Men in Blue without a jersey sponsor at one of the most high profile tournaments of the year.
The decision came in the immediate aftermath of the Indian Parliament passing a sweeping law that bans real money online gaming, effectively dismantling the very foundation of Dream11’s billion-dollar empire.
According to BCCI officials, Dream11 executives personally met board CEO Hemang Amin to convey the decision. “They informed us they won’t be able to continue as team sponsor for the Asia Cup. The BCCI will issue a fresh tender shortly,” a senior board member confirmed.
Importantly, Dream11’s exit will not attract any financial penalty. Their contract carried a protective clause that exempted them if government legislation directly impacted their core business.
A Partnership That Changed the Game
Founded 18 years ago, Dream11 rose from a startup to an $8 billion giant, revolutionizing fantasy sports in India. In 2023, the company struck a landmark ₹358 crore, three year deal with the BCCI to replace Byju’s as the national team’s lead sponsor. Its logo soon became synonymous with Team India’s jersey, adorning iconic moments and celebrations.
Dream11 also became an inseparable part of the IPL ecosystem, signing deals across franchises and roping in superstars like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah as brand ambassadors. In 2020, it even stepped in as the title sponsor of the IPL when Chinese smartphone maker Vivo withdrew.
But the company’s ambitions stretched far beyond Indian shores. Dream11 partnered with the Caribbean Premier League, New Zealand’s Super Smash, Australia’s Big Bash Leagues, and even struck a deal with the International Cricket Council in 2018. It also expanded into football, basketball, kabaddi, and hockey, cementing its place as the face of fantasy sports globally.
Law That Changed Everything
The Online Gaming Bill passed earlier this month in Parliament turned the industry on its head. The government banned real money fantasy sports and betting style contests, citing reasons ranging from financial fraud and tax evasion to money laundering and even terror financing.
“Unchecked expansion of online money gaming services has been linked to unlawful activities, including financing of terrorism. This poses threats to national security, public order, and the integrity of the State,” the Bill stated.
Soon after, Dream11 suspended all paid contests on its platform, pivoting to free to play games. For a company whose heartbeat was real money fantasy leagues, the ban struck at its very existence.
What This Means for Indian Cricket
The timing of Dream11’s pullout couldn’t have been more disruptive. With just two weeks left for the Asia Cup, the BCCI finds itself scrambling to fill the most prominent sponsorship slot on Team India’s jersey. For a cricket board used to commanding some of the richest sponsorship deals in global sport, this vacuum is uncharacteristic and unsettling.
Industry insiders believe potential sponsors will be cautious, given the government’s stance on online gaming and betting linked companies. Traditional brands may step in, but the financial heft of Dream11’s ₹358 crore deal will be hard to match in such short notice.
Dream11’s fall from grace isn’t just about a brand pulling out. It reflects a seismic shift in India’s sports economy, which in recent years had leaned heavily on real money gaming companies, fantasy sports, and offshore betting apps for easy sponsorship money. With the new law in place, that entire revenue stream is under threat.
For Team India, however, the focus will remain firmly on the field. When Rohit Sharma’s men step out in Dubai on September 8, they may do so without a sponsor on their jerseys a rare sight in modern cricket, and a stark reminder of how quickly the tides of politics, law, and business can collide in the sporting world.
