Dream11 is set to become the Indian cricket team's new principal jersey sponsor, replacing education tech giants Byju's. The fantasy gaming platform bagged rights to sponsor the Indian cricket team's jersey till 2027 for INR 358 crore on Friday, June 30.
Last year, Byju's renewed their jersey sponsorship agreement with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) till November 2023 but terminated the contract in March this year. Byju's previously replaced smartphone manufacturer Oppo in 2019. Notably, the Indian team recently featured against Australia in the ICC World Test Championship final with no jersey sponsor.
After Byju's withdrawal, the BCCI invited closed bids for the jersey sponsor and Dream11 was among the leading candidates to show their interest. However, the BCCI prohibited similar Real Money Gaming (RMG) platforms Rummy and Poker from submitting bids for jersey sponsors.
It has been reported that Dream11, as a principal jersey sponsor, will have its name in the center of the jersey name and the money given for bilateral fixtures will be three times more compared to what it pays for ICC fixtures, where the jersey will have the nation's name at the center.
"Yes, Dream11 will be the new jersey sponsor of the Indian team. You can expect an announcement in a few days' time," a BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity on Friday.
Dream11 has previously title-sponsored the Indian Premier League in 2020 after a Vivo pulled off due to public sentiments. Dream11 already has a good partnership with BCCI with key Indian cricketers being brand ambassadors for the Mumbai-based unicorn giants.
BCCI also brought in Adidas as an apparel sponsor for their cricket team recently, which was well received by cricket fans. India will wear their new Adidas-made jersey with Dream11 as a sponsor for the first time in the upcoming multi-format West Indies tour starting on July 12.
