Follow UsIt is rare, if not unprecedented, to see a team with the brand value of the Indian Men’s cricket team play a multi-nation tournament without a lead sponsor, yet that’s exactly the case in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.
Following the Fantasy Gaming company Dream11's withdrawal as a sponsor in the wake of the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming’ Bill, team India are temporarily without a sponsor. As a result, the players have been sporting plain, sponsor-less jerseys in the 2025 Asia Cup, a pretty unusual sight.
However, this situation will not persist for long as Arun Dhumal, current IPL Chairman and former BCCI Treasurer, confirmed that, in 2-3 weeks’ time, a new sponsor will likely be on board.
"We have started the ball rolling as far as finding a new sponsor is concerned, and in 2-3 weeks, you will get to know that,” Dhumal said, reported Times of India.
Dream11 pulled out as the side’s lead sponsor following the Indian government’s crackdown on Online Gaming. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill officially declared every application or online platform offering money-based games or related services in India as illegal.
All European Cricket Matches, part of the ECN (European Cricket Network,) also got suspended indefinitely as the tournaments were being funded primarily by Dream11.
“European Cricket informs its partners and friends that unexpected developments in India have created a challenging environment for the global cricket ecosystem. The Government of India ratified new legislation prohibiting online real money gaming,” the ECN said in a statement last month.
“This sector has been a cornerstone of the Indian market for years and a key supporter of cricket worldwide. As a direct consequence, Dream11 has stopped offering its real money games in India. Inevitably, this sudden development has significantly impacted European Cricket, as our growth in recent years has been closely linked to India and our long-standing strategic partner in that market.
“Considering these unforeseen developments, we regret to announce that we have currently paused events. This represents a significant setback, we are treating this as a challenge to adapt, restructure, and re-enter the market with renewed strength.”
Going by Dhumal’s timeline, however, India should have a new sponsor sorted in time for the white-ball series away in Australia, beginning on October 19 in Perth.