Sahara, Byju's, Dream11: Is Indian Cricket Team's Sponsor Curse Real?

The Indian Cricket Team has become a trending topic over the last few days, especially with the Asia Cup 2025 around the corner. The reason behind this trend has been India's squad that was picked for the tournament, which also brought a few questions.

The Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025 was announced on 19th August and Suryakumar Yadav will lead the strong 15-member team in the tournament. The main highlight of the squad was Shubman Gill being named as the vice-captain of the T20I team. Even though Gill is one of the best batsmen in the world currently, he wasn't in the T20I setup for a while, mainly due to his commitments in the longer formats.

The rest of the young guns were retained in the team. The Asia Cup 2025 will begin on 9th September, while the final will take place on 28th September. The tournament will be played in Dubai and the Abu Dhabi region of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While the tournament is set to be an exciting one, a main highlight is India's jersey sponsor after the recent restrictions on the Dream11 app.

Dream11 Pulls Out as India Sponsor Ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, the Indian Cricket Team suffered a massive blow as the lead sponsor, Dream11, pulled out of their deal. This comes after the Bill related to the banning of online money gaming apps to deal with “serious social and public health issues like addiction" was passed in the Parliament.

This means that the Indian Cricket Team will be heading into the tournament without the jersey sponsor. There were reports which claimed that the Indian jerseys for the Asia Cup 2025 with the Dream11 tag were ready, but they won't be used anymore. As a result, another jersey sponsor of the BCCI, has gone down the drain.

Team India Sponsor Curse: Why the Brands Suffer Huge Losses?

After the Bill was passed in the Parliament, Dream 11, which enjoys the king's share of India’s $3.8 billion gaming industry, is set to face a massive loss. The sporting firm, which is valued at $8 billion will be at the receiving end of a massive loss. This isn't the first time that a sponsor of Team India, one of the best cricket teams in the world, has suffered huge losses.

Over the years, we have seen brands in Sahara, Byju's, Oppo and others pulling out or facing some issues. It can be called a jinx with almost every sponsor facing big losses. Hence, the Indian cricket team sponsor curse has got even worse. Here are the pointers of previous brands facing losses:

• Sahara sparkled with grandeur in 2001, but by 2011 it collapsed under the SEBI heat. Its founder even ended up in jail.
• Star India, the broadcasting titan, rode high from 2014 to 2017, only to get entangled in antitrust probes and financial pressures that eroded its dominance.
• Oppo, a Chinese phone giant, quit amid geopolitical tensions - collateral in the India-China fallout.
• Byju’s, once India’s most celebrated edtech unicorn, grabbed the jersey and even FIFA sponsorships, only to be dragged down by debt, default, and eventual bankruptcy.

The sponsorship of the Indian Cricket Team is no doubt a big game. The brands get a lot of fame, red carpets, and nationwide visibility. However, the brands are also likely to face financial instability, regulatory hurdles, or overextension.

As a result, becoming the sponsor of Team India has been unlucky for many brands more often than not, as they have faced losses as well. The challenge for the BCCI will be to find new sponsors now. But the brands will be aware that although the visibility is guaranteed, however, whether it turns into lasting success is an entirely different game. It remains to he seen who will be new team India sponsor.