BCCI sponsorship jinx: How brands on Team India's jersey have faced trouble over years

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has joined hands with some immensely profitable companies over the years. This isn't something unnatural as associating with the Indian Cricket Team gives companies massive leverage, through surreal brand exposure to a huge audience, fostering strong brand awareness and trust among consumers, particularly youth. Brands look to use the Indian team's established trust factor to build their own credibility and reputation. The enormous reach and engagement opportunities lead to a commendable return on investment (ROI) for brands. However, quite strangely, all of India's jersey sponsors have landed in hot waters after their association with the Indian team, with Dream11, the current jersey sponsor, being the latest casualty. Notably, the Parliament of India has passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which is set to impose a blanket ban online games involving real money. Needless to say, fantasy sports platforms like Dream11 will be hit the hardest with the move and will have to shut down real-money and transaction-based operations as soon as the legislation is enacted. BCCI sponsors in trouble after partnership with Indian team 5. Sahara: 2001 to 2013 For over a decade, Sahara’s logo was imprinted on the Indian cricket jersey. It was there during the 2003 World Cup final heartbreak and went on the path of redemption in unison with the Indian team that achieved glory in 2011. However, after raising about INR 24,000 crore from 30 million investors, the group faced SEBI action for regulatory violations. The Supreme Court ordered deposits, but non-compliance led to Subrata Roy’s (founder of Sahara India Pariwar) arrest in 2014. Even after his demise in 2023, efforts to recover funds for investors are ongoing. 4. Star India: 2014 to 2017 Star India stepped in following Sahara's exit. This change coincided with the emergence of modern-day stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The brand’s presence on the jersey stood for a new cricketing era, but business fortunes took a beating. Walt Disney-owned Star faced criticism for abuse of market dominance, resulting in a Competition Commission probe. Meanwhile, Hotstar’s well-documented shortcomings left no option for it but to merge with Jio, considerably weakening the broadcaster. 3. Oppo (2017 to 2020) Oppo signed an awe-inspiring INR 1079 crore deal but the association was short-lived due to abysmal returns. Legal battles over patent disputes with Nokia and InterDigital proved to be detrimental to its standing. Byju’s came in as a replacement, honouring Oppo’s financial terms, but soon got caught up with its own problems. By 2023, the BCCI had moved NCLT over a ₹INR 58 crore default, adding to the edtech giant’s mounting financial woes. 2. Byju’s (2020 to 2022) With Byju's arriving, it seemed that BCCI’s sponsorship deal had been saved by a messiah. However, Byju’s soon became another wake-up call. Payment defaults, insolvency petitions, and regulatory scrutiny left the once-hailed edtech unicorn battling for survival, despite a temporary let-up with the cricket-governing body in court. 1. Dream11 (2023 to Present) In 2023, Dream11, came on board as the Indian team's jersey sponsor until 2026. However, the Indian fantasy sports platform currently faces its own share of uncertainty. With the BCCI wary of links to betting and real-money gaming, Dream11’s legality had been under the scanner in the past. The company was also hit with tax demands over alleged GST evasion of INR 1200 crore earlier. All that aside, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 has come as the final nail in the coffin for the fantasy sports giant.

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BCCI sponsorship jinx: How brands on Team India's jersey have faced trouble over years

While brands look to use the Indian team's popularity to build their credibility, quite strangely, all of India's jersey sponsors have landed in hot waters after their association with the team.

4. Star India: 2014 to 2017

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