Will India play the Asia Cup 2025 without a Jersey sponsor?

Will India play the Asia Cup 2025 without a jersey sponsor?

With Dream 11 facing a possible ban from the Indian government, the Indian cricket team would very well take the field in the Asia Cup 2025 without a jersey sponsor. It will be a one-of-a-kind scenario as the Suryakumar Yadav-led side, in spite of being backed by the largest cricket board, could play without a jersey sponsor. 

Not having Dream 11 or any other sponsor at the front of the jersey could result in huge monetary losses for the BCCI. The exact amount of money that the board will be expected to lose is still unknown. Dream 11 had agreed on a three-year deal to be the main sponsor of the Indian team’s jersey from July 2023 and March 2026. For this period, a sum of ₹358 crores was to be paid from Dream 11 to the BCCI. Apart from the Asia Cup, the Women’s team is set to take part in the ODI World Cup, where they will be hosting the event as well. 

Unfortunately for the Indian team, it is not the first time they have had a problem with their jersey sponsor. In the past, there have been multiple companies that have sponsored the Indian team and have had a misfortune past. 

Which companies are contenders for sponsoring the Indian jersey?

There will be a few companies that could be looking to sponsor the Indian team. While the BCCI might look for a sponsor on an interim basis, it might not be able to recover the losses suffered by letting Dream 11 go. 

It has been a jinx for most companies that have sponsored the Indian team in the past, and Dream 11 just became the latest entrant into the list. Sponsoring the Indian team comes at a pretty hefty cost, and only the leading companies of their industries could take on the mantle. 

TATA, being the principal sponsor of the Indian Premier League, could sponsor the cricket team as well. TATA and Reliance, along with Adani, are the three biggest companies in India. While both TATA and Reliance already have a heavy footprint in the Indian cricket market, Adani is still at best sponsoring state leagues and owns a team in the Women’s Premier League. Gautam Adani, the founder and chairman of the Adani Group, is the second richest person in India and has no shortage of funds, which would be required to take on the sponsorship for the Indian jersey.

Loss for BCCI in Asia Cup 2025

The BCCI will be expected to incur a loss during the Asia Cup 2025 if it decides to go on to play without a main jersey sponsor. Apart from the absence of a jersey sponsor, the Indian cricket team, as well as the board, are receiving a lot of flak for a decision that might be out of their hands. 

Following the terrorist attacks in the Pahalgam region of Kashmir earlier this year, the bilateral ties between India and Pakistan were affected. The cross-border tension between the armies of the two neighbouring countries that followed meant that there was a sense of anger amongst Indians. It was expected that the BCCI and the Indian cricket team would boycott the Asia Cup 2025.

However, not only is the continental tournament expected to go through as scheduled, but India and Pakistan are expected to play against each other at least twice. The recent developments come after the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports released a statement.