The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited bids for the lead sponsorship rights of the Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams. This comes after Dream11 lost its sponsorship deal following the new law in Parliament that banned real money gaming in India.
The new sponsor will be the official lead partner of Team India for a period yet to be announced. Both the men’s and women’s national teams will be covered under this deal.
Strict Rules for Interested Bidders by BCCI
The BCCI has set clear rules for those who want to apply. Companies connected with betting, alcohol, tobacco, cryptocurrency, pornography, and online gaming are not allowed to participate. Brands already linked with existing sponsors also cannot bid.
The board has also stressed that only a “Fit and Proper Person” can be eligible. For this, the BCCI will check the background of each bidder. It will look into several factors. These include:
- No criminal record for serious crimes, fraud, or moral offences.
- No conflict of interest under BCCI’s rules.
- No record of being a wilful loan defaulter.
- No conviction leading to a jail term of two years or more.
- A strong reputation and integrity.
The BCCI has also said it has the power to reject any bid at its discretion if it feels the applicant does not meet these standards.
No Lead Sponsor for Asia Cup 2025
Interested companies can collect the Invitation for Expression of Interest (IEOI) by September 12, 2025. Applications must be submitted before September 16.
This timeline means that India will play the Asia Cup 2025 without a lead sponsor. However, if the process moves quickly, the team could have a new sponsor before the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, which starts on September 30 in India.
The new lead sponsor will get major visibility on Indian cricket jerseys and will be linked with one of the most popular teams in world sport.
