Apollo Tyres to be Team India’s new jersey sponsor, deal worth whopping 579 Cr

Dream11’s three-year deal, worth INR 358 crore, became untenable under the new Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act.

The wait for India’s jersey sponsorship is finally over. Apollo Tyres will be the new lead sponsor of the Indian cricket team. The tyre giant will be paying approximately ₹4.5 crore per game, which is higher than the ₹4 crore per match that Dream11 shelled out during its tenure. The deal will run till 2027, covering nearly 121 bilateral fixtures and 21 ICC matches in the period. The total valuation of the deal is Rs 579 Crore.

Apollo replaces Dream11 as India’s jersey sponsor

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had floated fresh tenders earlier this month, after Dream11 was forced to exit due to the newly implemented Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025. The bidding process was conducted on September 16, with Apollo Tyres emerging as the frontrunner. According to a report in the Times of India, Canva and JK Tyre were the other serious bidders, while Birla Optus Paints expressed interest but opted out of the formal bidding process.

The sponsorship deal comes at a crucial time. India are currently playing the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi without a sponsor logo on their jerseys. With the Apollo Tyres agreement now sealed, fans can expect the company’s logo to appear on the jerseys in India’s upcoming fixtures, quite possibly starting from the India vs West Indies Tests that start from October 2.

Apollo Tyres is involved in multiple sports sponsorships, with a heavy focus on football and a recent expansion into cricket. Below is the list of sports sponsorships that Apollo Tyres is associated with.

Football

• Manchester United
• AS Monaco (through Vredestein)
• Chennaiyin FC
• Borussia Monchengladbach
• Crystal Palace FC
• Minerva Punjab FC
• Indian Super League (ISL)
• DVTK (Diosgyori VTK)

Cricket

• Sachin Tendulkar (Brand Ambassador)

Others

• BEAT Cycling Club (through Vredestein)
• Apollo Tyres United League (eSports)

The BCCI had been cautious this time after the Dream11 episode. The tender documents clearly barred companies from industries such as betting, gambling, cryptocurrency, online money gaming and tobacco. In addition, certain categories already associated with the team, such as sportswear manufacturers, banks, non-alcoholic beverages, insurance, fans and consumer durables, were also not eligible to bid.

Categories barred from bidding

The BCCI divided the restrictions into two groups: prohibited brand categories and blocked brand categories.

Prohibited Categories

• Alcohol products
• Betting or gambling services
• Cryptocurrency and related businesses
• Online money gaming or any activity banned under the Online Gaming Act, 2025
• Tobacco products
• Any brand that could offend public morals (such as pornography)

Blocked categories

• Athleisure and sportswear manufacturers (Adidas – current kit sponsor)
• Banks, financial services, and NBFCs (IDFC Bank – current title sponsor)
• Non-alcoholic cold beverages (Campa current – official partners)
• Fans, mixer grinders, and safety locks (Atomberg Technologies – official partners)
• Insurance (SBI life – official partners)