Apollo Tyres has stepped in as the new lead jersey sponsor of the Indian cricket team, replacing Dream11, which had signed a three-year, ₹358 crore deal in 2023. Dream11’s agreement included a per-match payout of ₹3 crore for home games and ₹1 crore for away games.
In contrast, Apollo Tyres will pay a record ₹4.5 crore per match, securing the sponsorship rights till 2027. The deal comes after the abrupt exit of Dream11, co-founded by Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth, which was forced to scale back operations following the ban on real-money gaming apps under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill.
Dream11, which first appeared on Team India’s kit during the July 2023 Test series against the West Indies, had enjoyed a strong association with cricket. In FY24, the company generated over ₹9,600 crore in revenue, but with its core business shut down, the brand has withdrawn from the sporting arena.
The transition from Dream11 to Apollo Tyres marks not only a commercial upgrade for the BCCI but also a clear shift away from gaming sponsors to more regulation-compliant industries
