Are Indian Cricket Sponsors Really Cursed? From Sahara To BYJU’S & Dream11, How Big Brands Faced Major Setbacks

Mumbai: Over the years, many top brands have poured big money into sponsoring the Indian cricket team. While it promises massive visibility, a surprising number of sponsors have later faced major setbacks, raising the question—does this partnership bring bad luck?

Wills – The First Sponsor

The first major sponsor was Wills, a cigarette brand, which appeared on India’s jersey during the 1996 World Cup. The brand got a lot of attention, but after new rules banned tobacco ads, Wills had to pull out. It wasn't just them—many tobacco brands faced the same fate.

Sahara – A Big Fall from Grace

Sahara became the main sponsor in 2001 and stayed until 2013. The company was involved in many businesses, but it collapsed due to huge financial scams. The Supreme Court later ordered them to return money to around 3 crore investors. Their downfall had more to do with fraud than cricket sponsorship.

Star TV – A Conflict of Interest

After Sahara, Star India became the team sponsor and also had broadcast rights for matches. This raised concerns about fairness, as they had too much control. Eventually, Star pulled out, especially after Disney’s takeover and new streaming competition from Jio, which affected their profits.

OPPO and BYJU’S – Global Tensions and Bad Business

OPPO, a Chinese phone company, took over in 2017. But due to rising India-China tensions and the Galwan clash, the Indian government limited Chinese company involvement. OPPO exited quickly.

BYJU’S, the ed-tech unicorn, stepped in next with a massive $55 million deal. But the company soon faced major problems—financial losses, mass layoffs, and questions over spending (including hiring Lionel Messi as brand ambassador). Eventually, they cut ties with Indian cricket too.

Dream11 – Latest Sponsor, New Trouble

Dream11 took over in 2023 but soon faced a huge challenge. The Indian government added a 28 percent tax on online gaming, which hit the fantasy sports industry hard. Now, Dream11’s future as a sponsor is uncertain too.

Is It Really a Curse?

At first glance, it looks like sponsoring Team India leads to disaster. But in reality, each brand had its own problems. Some broke the law, others made risky business moves, and some were hit by global politics. Indian cricket just happened to be in the picture.

Sponsoring Indian cricket gives brands huge visibility, but it also means your every move is watched. One mistake, and the backlash is huge. So maybe it's not a curse - but just a high-risk, high-reward game.