Want to sponsor Team India? Here’s how to bid for the new title rights

The BCCI has invited bids to become Indian cricket team’s title sponsor after Dream11’s pullout following the central government’s ban on real money gaming applications and companies. The Indian team will be without a title sponsor in the Asia Cup starting this month on September 9, as the board has set September 16 as the last date to submit bids.

Dream 11 recently closed its real money games due to the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025’, which says that “no person shall offer any, aid, abet, induce, indulge, engage in offering online money gaming services nor shall involve in any advertisement which directly or indirectly promotes any person to play any online money game”.

NEWS ???? – BCCI announces the release of the Invitation for Expression of Interest for National Team Lead Sponsor Rights

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— BCCI (@BCCI) September 2, 2025

“Bidder, including any of its Group companies: (i) should not be engaged in online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services in India or anywhere in the world; (ii) should not provide any online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services to any Person in India; and (iii) should not have any investment or ownership interest in any Person engaged in betting or gambling services in India,” stated a press release from the BCCI.

The final date for the purchase of the Invitation for Expression fo Interest will be ₹5 lakh is September 12. “To clarify, a bidder, including any of its Group companies, engaged in any activities/business that is prohibited under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 is not permitted to submit a bid,” it added.

The BCCI has also stopped companies who could offend public morals such as tobacco, alcohol, and pornography amongst entities from applying. Certain brand categories will also be blocked because BCCI already have existing sponsors in those categories.  These include Athleisure and Sportswear Manufacturers; Banks, Banking & Financial Service and Non-Banking Financial Companies; Non-Alcoholic Cold Beverages; Fans, Mixer Grinders and Safety Locks; and Insurance.

The brands in these categories that are associated with BCCI right now are Adidas, Campa Cola, IDFC First Bank, and SBI Life, among others.

“…bidder operating or engaged in multiple brand/product categories, one of which falls under either the Blocked Brand Categories or Prohibited Brand Categories, shall not be permitted to submit a bid in respect of such Blocked Brand Categories or Prohibited Brand Categories.

“Bidders are prohibited from submitting bids through surrogate brands. Surrogate branding refers to any attempt to indirectly submit a bid on behalf of a different entity or Person through the use of a different entity or person. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of different names, brands, identity or logos,” the Board stated.

According to the financial eligibility for the bidding, the average turnover of the bidder for the last three years needs to be a minimum of ₹300 crore. Or, the average net worth of each bidder for the last three years should be at least ₹300 crore. The BCCI have clarified that they reserve the right to cancel or amend the IEOI process at any stage “in any manner without providing any reason”.