Fantasy sports platform Dream11 has decided to step down as the lead sponsor of the Indian cricket team following the passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The move comes barely two weeks before the Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to begin on September 9.
The development has left the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) scrambling to find a new sponsor in time. If no deal is struck before the tournament, Team India will play without a lead sponsor for the first time in years. Jerseys already printed with the Dream11 logo will not be used.
The new law, which received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on Friday, bans all online games involving real money. Violators face penalties of up to three years in jail and fines of Rs 1 crore.
The Lok Sabha cleared the Bill on August 20 and the Rajya Sabha on August 21, both amid opposition disruptions that left little scope for debate.
Following the legislation, Dream11 suspended all its paid contests, announcing that it would now operate only as a free-to-play social gaming platform.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed on Friday that the board would comply fully with the government’s policies.
“If it’s not permissible, we’ll not do anything. The BCCI will follow every policy of the country that the central government frames,” Saikia said.
The board is now expected to invite fresh bids for sponsorship at the earliest.
Dream11 had taken over as Team India’s sponsor in 2023, winning the rights with a Rs 358 crore bid. Under the deal, the company was paying Rs 3 crore per home match and ₹1 crore per away game, with the contract valid until 2026.
With the exit coming midway through the agreement, Team India now faces a sponsor vacuum just ahead of a marquee tournament.
The urgency to secure a new sponsor is high, as India’s Asia Cup campaign will be closely watched globally.
For now, one of cricket’s most visible partnerships has come to an abrupt end, showing how quickly legal changes can reshape the game, both on and off the field.
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