Will Team India be Without Jersey Sponsor after New Online Gaming Bill?

The T20 cricket action is back as the Asia Cup 2025 is going to start from 9 September 2025. The upcoming Asia Cup will be in T20 format, and eight teams will compete in two groups for the title. After the group stage, Super Fours will take place, which will be followed by the final.

India are drawn in the same group as Pakistan and the two titans of Asian cricket will be coming face to face on 14 September in Dubai. Both India and Pakistan are one of the best cricket teams in the world, which makes this contest even more fascinating. But before facing Pakistan, Suryakumar Yadav and Co. will face the UAE on 10 September, which marks the start of their campaign.

While the focus must be on cricket, a recent news has raised questions over the Indian national cricket team's sponsor, Dream11. The Indian government passed a new law regarding fantasy sports apps which has put Dream11's future in doubt. This has also raised questions over its involvement as a sponsor in the Asia Cup.

Is Dream11 Banned? Indian Government Passes New Law

After the Indian Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, the BCCI is expecting clarification on Dream11's agreement. The Indian president approved the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill on Friday. Operators of fantasy sports and other real-money gambling platforms are not allowed to operate or advertise in India.

In response to the new regulation, Dream11 has closed all cash-based competitions nationwide. In July 2023, Dream11 signed a three-year jersey deal with the BCCI of INR 358 crores to become the principal sponsor for Team India by replacing Byju's. However, Byju’s, who started sponsoring in 2020, lost the deal because of some default in payments, and the BCCI took the case to the court.

Team India has always seen some legal troubles from the sponsors. Earlier, the main sponsor for India was Sahara from 2001 to 2013, but the company landed into trouble after the scam came out. Later in 2014, the BCCI, which is also the richest cricket board in the world, joined hands with Star India till 2017. In 2017, Oppo came into the business with BCCI, but soon they also started to have financial problem and the deal fell off in 2020.

Meanwhile, Dream11 has the deal till 2026, which includes the right to sponsor the jersey for the home T20 World Cup. If anything goes against the Bill, Dream11 might be replaced by the company's other businesses, which include a high-end sports travel brand.

"It is too early to comment on the situation," said BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. He stated that the Act would only take effect upon the issuance of an official notification; if this occurs prior to the Asia Cup, the board will then choose its next course of action.

Will Dream11 Sponsor Team India in Asia Cup 2025?

The Indian cricket team may be able to play without a sponsor's logo if the new law is put into effect before to the Asia Cup. BCCI insiders hint they would rather go without a sponsor than accept an underwhelming short-term deal. There is still a lingering impression of the brief sponsorship with the clothing firm Killer, which is generally seen as inappropriate for the prestige of Indian cricket. It remains to be seen which brand becomes India sponsor Asia Cup if Dream11 isn't allowed to do it.

In the meantime, My11Circle has a ₹625 crore IPL contract with the BCCI that expires in 2028, which gives the board enough time to look at possible league replacements if necessary. The advertising and funding of online money games and betting have been made illegal by the measure that outlaws them, and those who do so risk up to five years in prison. This Bill came after reports claiming that 450 million individuals were cheated out of USD 2.3 billion a year by fantasy sports websites.