India jersey looks much better: Fans give thumbs to training kit minus Dream11 logo

The Indian cricket team is in Dubai training for the Asia Cup 2025. As Suryakumar Yadav's team gears up for their first match of the tournament, Indian fans have spotted the first sponsorless India training kit in years.

India's previous sponsor, Dream11, pulled out of its deal with the Indian Cricket Board following the implementation of the Online Gaming Act 2025. The fantasy sports company, which built its brand by promoting fantasy leagues on its platform, used to earn revenue from players who had to put in real money to enter such leagues. While the fee was nominal, the huge pool of players meant that the company had a valuation of 8 billion dollars.

After Dream11 pulled out of the sponsorship deal with a year remaining on the contract, the BCCI failed to secure a new sponsorship deal in time for the Asia Cup 2025. However, fans seem to like the new jersey more than the previously sponsored one.

The jersey, however, is unlikely to remain the same in the coming days. The BCCI floated the advertisement for lead sponsorship rights on September 2. The board explicitly mentioned that certain companies were not allowed to apply as jersey sponsors for the Indian team. In a detailed notice, it clearly listed the types of companies that were not eligible to be part of the BCCI sponsorship pool.

The BCCI’s move came after the Indian government banned online money gaming platforms. The BCCI also stated that companies applying for the sponsorship rights must have a minimum yearly turnover of Rs 300 crore.

India are stationed in Dubai ahead of their first match in the tournament. They will take on UAE, Pakistan and Oman in the group stage.

India’s fixtures at Asia Cup:

• India vs UAE – September 10
• India vs Pakistan – September 14
• India vs Oman – September 19.