Apollo Tyres has stepped in as the new lead sponsor of the Indian cricket team’s jerseys, filling the void left by Dream11 after its abrupt exit. The tyre major will have its branding on both men’s and women’s national team jerseys across all formats until March 2028.
The change comes in the wake of the government’s promotion and regulation of online gaming bill, which forced real-money gaming companies, including Dream11, to shut down operations and halt advertising. This development cut short Dream11’s arrangement with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), leaving the national side without a sponsor logo during the ongoing Asia Cup in the UAE.
Earlier this month, the BCCI had invited fresh bids for sponsorship rights, barring companies linked to gaming, cryptocurrency, tobacco and alcohol.
A senior BCCI official confirmed that the agreement with Apollo Tyres has been signed and will be formally announced soon. Valued at ₹579 crore, the two-and-a-half-year contract marks a significant jump from Dream11’s ₹358 crore deal for the same period.
The sponsorship covers 121 bilateral fixtures and 21 ICC matches, averaging around ₹4.77 crore per game, though valuations differ between bilateral and ICC events. The deal concludes in March 2028.
Apollo Tyres, headquartered in Gurugram with operations in over 100 countries, secured the rights after outbidding Canva (₹544 crore) and JK Cements (₹477 crore). Media agency WPP was said to have advised Apollo on its winning bid.
The BCCI had set a base price of ₹3.5 crore for bilateral fixtures and ₹1.5 crore for ICC matches. Despite concerns over diminished sponsor interest following the gaming ban, Apollo’s offer comfortably exceeded expectations and surpassed Dream11’s previous deal by more than ₹200 crore.
Apollo’s logo will first appear during the India A vs Australia one-day series in Kanpur on September 30, October 2 and October 5. For the senior men’s side, the new branding will debut in the two-Test home series against the West Indies from October 2, followed by the white-ball tour of Australia.
The women’s team will also don the Apollo logo across formats, extending the sponsorship’s visibility.
India is currently competing in the Asia Cup 2025. Their latest outing was the high-voltage clash against Pakistan in Dubai, where India secured a seven-wicket victory after restricting the rivals to 127/9 in 20 overs. The match also drew attention when Suryakumar Yadav declined a handshake with the Pakistan captain, citing solidarity with India’s armed forces
