Apollo Tyres becomes new sponsor of Team India, replaces Dream11 in multi-crore deal

Apollo Tyres has struck a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the sponsor of the Indian team.

Replacing Dream11, the Gurugram-based tyre company secured the three-way race, ahead of Canva and JK Cement, with a whopping bid of ₹579 crore, meaning each game could cost it around ₹4.77 crore.

However, in the case of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) and multinational events, the value difference could be different — around ₹ 1.72 crore per fixture.

According to the BCCI, the Apollo Tyres logo will be featured on the jerseys of the Indian men’s and women’s national teams across all formats until March 2028. This partnership succeeds the previous sponsorship held by Dream11. According to the BCCI insiders, the sponsorship deal covers 121 bilateral games and about 21 ICC matches. 

Neeraj Kanwar, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Apollo Tyres Limited, said: “Cricket’s unmatched popularity in India and worldwide makes it an honour for us to become the National Team Lead Sponsor of Team India. This partnership is about national pride, strengthening consumer trust, and showcasing Apollo as a true leader in our category, while supporting Indian sport at the highest level and creating unforgettable moments for fans worldwide.”

The BCCI had to float tenders for a new sponsor after Dream11 called off the deal as the title sponsor, days after both houses of Parliament passed a law criminalising real-money-based online games.

RELATED: Dream11 ban — Team India faces threat of losing another jersey sponsor ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Dream11 — one of the key players in the market, with diversified business interests, from sports tourism to online streaming apps — was the lead sponsor for the last couple of years.

With a last-minute pullout, the Indian team had to feature in the ongoing Asia Cup in the UAE without a jersey sponsor.

According to the sources, the first international mileage for the new sponsors will be in the two-Test home series against the West Indies starting on October 2, followed by an away white-ball series in Australia.

It is believed that a UP-based company and a Middle Eastern company had also purchased the ITT document, but did not participate in the bidding in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Published on Sep 16, 2025