The suspense is finally over—Team India will take the field in the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE without a primary sponsor logo on their jerseys.
Dream11’s exit followed the approval of the Online Sports Bill, leaving the spot vacant.
To fill the void, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially opened the process for new sponsorship bids.
As per the report, interested parties can purchase the Invitation of Expression of Interest (IEOI) until September 12 by paying a non-refundable fee of ₹5.9 lakh. The submission deadline for completed bid documents is set for September 16, according to the board’s latest announcement.
BCCI’s Updated Guidelines on Sponsors
BCCI has taken extra precautions this time while shortlisting sponsors for Team India’s jersey. After the recent Dream11 episode, the board has released a detailed list of both banned and prohibited categories to ensure such issues don’t recur.
Banned categories include brands already associated with the team in some capacity, such as:
Athleisure and sportswear manufacturers
Banks, financial service institutions, and NBFCs
Non-alcoholic cold beverage companies
Consumer appliances like fans, mixer grinders, and safety locks
Insurance firms
On the other hand, the prohibited categories comprise industries and activities that are not permitted to partner with Indian cricket under any circumstances. These are:
Alcoholic beverages
Betting and gambling services
Cryptocurrency and related products
Online money gaming platforms restricted under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025
Tobacco products
Content or businesses offensive to public morality, including pornography
Dream11’s sudden exit as India’s lead sponsor
The sudden exit of Dream11 as the lead sponsor of the Indian cricket team has created quite a buzz, especially with Asia Cup 2025 just around the corner.
Its logo featured prominently on Team India’s kit across formats. However, with the passage of the new legislation, restrictions have been placed on companies operating in the online gaming and sports betting space.
The bill aims to create a stricter regulatory framework, reduce the influence of betting-linked sponsorships in mainstream sports, and promote greater transparency.
As a result, Dream11 had to withdraw from the jersey sponsorship agreement, leaving India without a lead sponsor ahead of a major tournament.
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