Dream11, the digital fantasy sports platform, has become the lead sponsor of the national Indian men’s cricket team for the next three years.
The brand was announced as the new Team India lead commercial partner by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on July 1, ahead of the Indian tour of the Caribbean for their series against the West Indies, starting on July 12.
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Dream11’s logo will be seen on the front of the team’s jerseys from those matches onwards, with the two test matches against the West Indies representing the first Indian assignment of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle.
The previous Indian main national team front-of-shirt sponsor was educational technology firm Byju’s, which earlier this year was reported to be willing to let its deal expire naturally after the ICC Cricket World Cup in India (in October and November).
However, in mid-June a tender was launched for a new national team lead sponsor, with a deadline of June 26, and Dream11 has now been installed with immediate effect to replace Byju’s.
Dream11 has a long history of association with Indian cricket and with the BCCI, having been the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 domestic competition in 2020, and sponsoring the tournament in various other capacities over the following years.
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By GlobalDataIt is also a partner of multiple men’s and women’s domestic Indian franchises, from both the IPL and the new Women’s Premier League. It also sponsors cricket in other countries.
Roger Binny, president of the BCCI, said: “I congratulate Dream11 and welcome them on board again. From being BCCI’s official sponsor to now being the lead sponsor, the BCCI-Dream11 partnership has grown from strength to strength. It is a direct testament to the trust, value, potential, and growth that Indian cricket offers.
“As we prepare to host the ICC World Cup later this year, enhancing fan experience is among our top priorities and I am confident that this partnership will help us elevate the fan engagement experience.”
Harsh Jain, Dream Sports’ co-founder and chief executive, added: “As a long-standing partner of BCCI and Team India, Dream11 is thrilled to take our partnership to the next level.
"At Dream11, we share our love for cricket with a billion Indian cricket fans, and it is a matter of pride and privilege to become the lead sponsor for the national team. We look forward to continue supporting the Indian sports ecosystem.”
When it began the tender process, the BCCI said it would not accept bids from companies in categories including athlete leisure and sportswear, alcohol products, betting, cryptocurrency, real money gaming, and tobacco.
The governing body also said that any brand “likely to offend public morals such as, including but not limited to, pornography” will not be considered.
The original tie-up between the BCCI and technology company Byju was struck in 2019 and then renewed in a short-term extension in June last year.
In late May, meanwhile, the BCCI struck a new kit supply deal with German sportswear heavyweight Adidas, covering the national teams through to 2028.
adidas is now providing kits for the men's, women’s, and under-19 national sides.
Image: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images
