Being the official team sponsor Indian cricket team Is the crown achievement of corporate marketing. With stadium packs and billions of tuning in broadcasts and digital platforms, a sponsor logo on players’ chest commands unique visibility and brand recall. Nevertheless since 2001, every company wearing this prized situation has turned into controversies – legal battle, regulator cracks or severe financial stress. Latest admission, Dream11Now the real-mani faces its own existence crisis amidst extensive laws against gaming.
Dream11 and other fantasy gaming apps Fiasco with Government of India
Dream11 took a jersey-front billing in 2023 amid valuation for India’s largest fantasy-gaming platform. Users collect real players and bets of stake money on their performance – a model that took Dream 11 to Unicorn position. However, Parliament passed on August 21, 2025 Promotion and regulation of online gaming billWhich clearly banned the real-mani gaming apps. Once the President signs the bill, the main product of Dream11 will be declared across the country.
This is the problem before regulator blow compounds. In early 2025, Dream 11 received a tax demand of about Rs 1,200 crore for alleged GST theft, although it successfully fought a notice. The fresh investigation by tax authorities remains adjacent, doubting the company’s ability to fund its multi-year sponsorship commitment through 2026. Without a legal work -round, Dream 11 Risk to lose its primary revenue source and, in detail, its marquet placement on Team India’s jersey.
- Sahara (2001–2013): The longest run ends

Sahara GroupThe 12 -year association with Team India remains the longest sponsorship tenure BCCI History. At its peak, the brand became synonymous with Indian cricket, estimating financial strength and large -scale market appeal. But behind glitz, Sahara will become one of India’s most infamous corporate scams.
On charges of increasing around ₹ 24,000 crore through suspected investor schemes, the group spent closed years to lock in a fight with market regulator SEBI. In 2014, founder Subrata RoyThe arrest for contempt of court symbolized the dramatic collapse of the group. Started as the most permanent partnership of cricket, ending as the legal precaution of ambition.
Also read: Dream11 and other cricket fantasy apps suspend the real-mani gaming operation
- Star India (2014–2017): A media veteran’s disappearance shine

When? Star india Instead of Sahara, the deal appeared comfortable: the owner of a Disney-supported broadcaster, cricket rights, command of record viewership, and riding a digital streaming wave via Hotstar. But soon the cracks appeared.
The Competition Commission of India began an investigation into alleged monopoly practices, while the hotstar struggled to convert growing traffic into permanent profit amid growing competition. By 2017, Star’s standalone identity was diluted through its merger with JIO, once reduced the major media empire in another coom in India’s integrated telecom-broadcast jugrant.
- Oppo (2017–2020): smartphone and short -term glory

In 2017, Opposition With the intention of separating Apple and Samsung in India’s fast growing smartphone market, 1,079 crore burst on the scene with a sponsorship deal. For some time, its name was emerged on Team India’s jersey, giving it visibility in every living room in the country.
Nevertheless, Halo faded quickly. Fight with patent Nokia And Interdigital Consuming the company, while geopolitical tensions increased the increasing doubt towards Chinese brands. By 2020, Oppo quickly exiting, moving away from one of the most prized marketing platforms after failing to translate the cricket buzz into a sustainable market share.
- Bayju (2020–2022): Edtech’s meteor increase and spiral

If Sahara gives a symbol of longevity and oppression, then it is a symbol of ambition, BayjuThe startup boom of India reflects. In 2020, as epidemics promoted online learning, Edtech giant handled Jersey sponsorship at the peak of his evaluation – a shocking $ 22 billion.
But rapid global expansion hid deep financial cracks. Increased losses and payment lapses were soon caught. In 2022, insolvency petitions were revealed, and in 2023, BCCI pulled Byju into the National Company Law Tribunal at an unpaid ₹ 158 crore sponsored fee. Once India’s new age entrepreneurship was terminated in a dramatic lineage debt and retrenchment.
- Dream11 (2023 -present): Fantasy turns into uncertain reality

Fantasy-Sports platform of Dream11 revolutionized the fan engagement over sponsorship in 2023. Nevertheless, its main occupation-existed-man-ab-Ab 2025 bills faces an existential threat from the bill that restrictions the payment-entry gaming apps outright. Already, the multi-year-old jersey deal of Dream 11 can become an albatros instead of a billboard, as the multi-year-old jersey deal of Dream 11 can become an albatros, as its central revenue stream risks are being excluded from existence.
Also read: 3 Reasons Why Ban on Betting App like Dream11 is a perfect step