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Dream11 (Source: Twitter)
Online fantasy platform Dream11 is reportedly set to become the new team sponsor for India in both men's and women's cricket. Founded in 2008, the Indian fantasy sports company has inked a deal with the Indian cricket team that will run until 2027, meaning players will don Dream11 logo in the middle of their jerseys going forward in international matches.
Byju's, an online learning platform, was the team sponsor for Team India since the 2019 home season. The Bengaluru-based tech company acquired the rights from Chinese smartphone manufacturing company Oppo. Byju's sponsored the team for nearly three-and-a-half years and has now decided not to renew its contract with the Indian Cricket Board.
Previously, Byju's had an optional contract with the board that lasted until November. However, the ed-tech firm's jersey sponsorship rights ended in March after it decided to pull out of the deal due to adverse market conditions.
According to reports, the governing body Indian cricket earned approximately Rs 5.5 crore for each bilateral match under the deal with Byju's. However, this value has come down to Rs 1.7 crore for a major multi-national fixture due to logo positioning. Meanwhile, the financial terms of the deal with Dream11 are expected to be lower than what the board got from its previous partner.
Fans confused over Adidas and Dream11 sponsorship
The latest report may have created confusion among fans as Adidas also signed a deal with the Indian team earlier this year. However, journalist K Shriniwas Rao clarified that Adidas is the team's apparel sponsor and Dream 11 is the team sponsor. The German athletic wear and footwear giant even launched new kits for Team India ahead of the World Test Championship final against Australia earlier this month.
The fantasy app, which allows users to play a variety of fantasy sports including cricket and football, is not new to the Indian fans. Dream11 was the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2020. Several top Indian cricketers have also been the brand ambassadors of this platform and have featured in their advertisements.
Here's how fans reacted:
Itni badiya jersey bekar kardi Beech me ab Dream 11 dikhega 🥲
— Melbourne 82* 🇮🇳 (@IamSid306) June 30, 2023
Pan masala allowed nahi tha but gambling is allowed 😭
— Sreerag Rajesh (@RajeshSreerag) June 30, 2023
If byju was bad then it is worst 🤮🤮🤮
— Vector (@AnIrf_0) June 30, 2023
What a Shameful Moment in Indian cricket History!! Absolutely terrible advert for this beautiful game of ours. Supreme court must intervene and Ban BCCI asap.
— Ankit (@cricholic90) June 30, 2023
But inhone to kaha tha ki betting type ki companies are not allowed for even bid
— Ritik (@CricyRitik) June 30, 2023
Bhai bjus ko hi wapis le ayo yar 😭😭
— Vaibhav Arora (@Savage_vaibhav) June 30, 2023
Itna bada board hone ke baad bhi dhange ke sponsor nahi kete
— AKHIL_99 (@AK99cricket) June 30, 2023
Duniya mai beizzati karao deshi ki..😡😡
Will Dream 11 survive till 2027
— 🏏 (@desirobelinda) June 30, 2023
Atleast Byjus was better than this
— khushanshu (@no1khush) June 30, 2023