Apollo Tyres has replaced Dream 11 as the lead sponsor for the Indian cricket team after winning a three-way race with a massive bid of Rs 579 crore. The Apollo Tyres logo will be now featured on the jerseys of the Indian men’s and women’s national teams across all formats.
The new agreement between BCCI and Apollo Tyres spans two and a half years concluding in March 2028. This partnership succeeds the previous sponsorship held by Dream11.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today announced a landmark partnership with Apollo Tyres, a leader in the global tyre industry, as the new lead Sponsor of Team India,” said the BCCI in a statement
“This marks Apollo Tyres’ first-ever foray into India cricket, a strategic move to align with a sport that resonates deeply with the nation. The new partnership, secured after a rigorous bidding process, represents a substantial increase in sponsorship value, signifying the immense and growing commercial appeal of Indian cricket,” it added.
The BCCI was seeking a new title sponsor for the national team as the deal with Dream11 could not continue due to restrictions on real money gaming companies. The development came after the Indian Parliament on August 21 passed the “Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025,” which has banned real-money gaming services on platforms like Dream11.
Notably, the Indian men’s team is currently playing the Asia Cup in the UAE without a sponsor. On the other hand, the women’s team also is taking the field without any jersey sponsor in the ongoing bilateral ODI series against Australia.
Details Of Apollo Tyres-BCCI Deal For Team India Jersey Sponsor
According to a Cricbuzz report, the new sponsorship deal between BCCI and Apollo Tyres spans three years and covers 121 bilateral games and 21 ICC matches. The Gurgaon-based tyre company, who has presence in over 100 countries, overcame the challenges from Canva and JK Cements, who had placed bids of INR 544 crore and INR 477 crore respectively.
The deal amounts to roughly INR 4.77 crore per match, though the figure may vary slightly because of the difference in value between bilateral fixtures and ICC games. The report further mentioned that the BCCI had set a base price of INR 3.5 crore for bilateral matches and Rs 1.5 crore for World Cup games.
Dream11’s Association With BCCI And IPL
Dream11, which was one of the biggest fantasy gaming platforms in the country, acquired the rights to become the BCCI’s lead sponsor in a three-year deal worth Rs 358 crore in July 2023. The fantasy sports platform took over from educational technology venture Byju’s.
The agreement between Dream11 and BCCI included a per-match fee of Rs 3 crore for home games and Rs 1 crore for away games.
Notably, Dream11 also had a strong presence in the Indian Premier League (IPL) through partnerships with multiple franchises. Over the years, several star players such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah served as its brand ambassadors.
In 2020, Dream11 stepped in as the IPL’s title sponsor after Chinese firm Vivo pulled out.
