Apollo Tyres wins Indian team sponsorship rights with INR 579 crore bid

Published - 16 Sept 2025, 16:27 IST | Updated - 16 Sept 2025, 16:27 IST

Apollo Tyres has secured the sponsorship rights of the Indian cricket team, outbidding Canva and JK Cements with a record-breaking offer of INR 579 crore. The deal spans three years and covers 121 bilateral matches along with 21 ICC fixtures, making it one of the most lucrative sponsorship agreements in Indian cricket history.

The Gurgaon-based tyre giant, which has operations in more than 100 countries, emerged victorious in a three-way race. While Canva placed a bid of INR 544 crore and JK Cements offered INR 477 crore, Apollo’s aggressive bid sealed the contract. The per-match value of the deal averages around INR 4.77 crore, though the exact figure may vary given the different base prices assigned to bilateral and ICC games. According to Cricbuzz, the BCCI had set a base price of INR 3.5 crore for bilateral matches and INR 1.5 crore for ICC World Cup games.

This landmark deal comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was forced to annul its contract with Dream11, following the enactment of Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which prohibited real-money gaming in India. Dream11 had an INR 358 crore deal with the board. With the directive arriving just ahead of the Asia Cup, the Indian team had to participate in the continental tournament without a jersey sponsor.

Apollo Tyres’ association with the national team will begin immediately. The first official international assignment under the new sponsorship will be India’s two-match Test series against the West Indies, starting October 2. This will be followed by a high-profile white-ball tour of Australia. Before that, however, fans will get a glimpse of the new sponsor’s logo during the India A vs Australia A one-day series in Kanpur on September 30, October 2, and October 5.

To ensure timely preparations, the BCCI has already informed selectors to finalise the India A squad early so that the jerseys can be readied. With this deal, Apollo Tyres not only strengthens its brand visibility but also joins the roster of companies that have adorned the Indian cricket jersey.