The Indian cricket team may walk into the Asia Cup 2025 without a primary jersey sponsor, a rare occurrence in modern cricket. This unusual situation arose after fantasy sports giant Dream11 terminated its partnership with the BCCI, following the government’s recent crackdown on real-money online gaming under the new Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. The regulation banned companies in this sector from advertising through sports sponsorships, forcing Dream11 to pull out of its multi-crore deal.
The timing has left the BCCI scrambling. With the Asia Cup starting in just days, the board faces the prospect of India’s players taking the field in jerseys with no sponsor on the front. For an organization that has long prided itself on commanding some of the highest sponsorship revenues in world cricket, this presents both an image setback and a financial hit. Jerseys that had already been produced with Dream11’s branding are expected to be discarded, making way for sponsor-free kits at least for the opening matches of the tournament.
In response, the BCCI has issued an Expression of Interest for new sponsorship bids. But the rules are tight—companies involved in online gaming, cryptocurrency, betting, tobacco, or alcohol are excluded. Only established brands with at least ₹300 crore in annual turnover or net worth are eligible. Moreover, the cost of entry has been raised significantly: lead sponsorship will now demand ₹3.5 crore per bilateral match and ₹1.5 crore per game in multilateral events such as the Asia Cup. These rates are considerably higher than past deals, reflecting the BCCI’s confidence in the visibility and commercial power of Indian cricket.
Yet, the clock is ticking. The deadline for bids falls mid-September, which means no new sponsor will be in place before India’s Asia Cup opener. While the absence of a jersey sponsor may dent short-term revenue, it also opens an unusual opportunity: the team’s kit, free of logos, could become a symbolic statement, representing cricket beyond commercial interests. For fans, it may also evoke nostalgia for an era before cricket jerseys were branded billboards.
Financially, however, the gap is significant. Dream11’s contract was worth hundreds of crores, a stream the BCCI was relying on heading into a packed calendar of the Asia Cup, the World Cup, and multiple bilateral series. Finding a replacement at the new elevated rates will test how much global brands are willing to invest to associate with the Indian team under stricter regulatory conditions.
For now, the focus shifts to the field, where the players may step out in sponsorless blues. It’s a rare moment in cricket’s modern commercial era and a reminder of how quickly regulatory winds can reshape the business of sport. The BCCI, though caught off guard, remains confident of securing a heavyweight sponsor soon after the Asia Cup, ensuring that the jersey’s blank front is a temporary quirk rather than a long-term reality.
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