Cricket isn’t just a sport in India. It’s a stage, a spectacle, and at times, a mirror of the country’s anxieties. The tricolor jersey—worn, cheered, wept over—carries more than sweat and pride. It carries the logos of billion-dollar sponsors. And if you’ve paid attention over the years, you’ll notice a curious pattern: almost every sponsor of Team India’s jersey has ended up facing turbulence, scandal, or an abrupt fall from grace.
It’s the kind of thing fans whisper about half-seriously: the “jersey sponsor’s curse.”
Sahara: The Patriarch Falls
For over a decade, Sahara was welded to Indian cricket. Its logo wasn’t just ink on fabric; it was stitched into memories of Tendulkar centuries and Ganguly’s shirt-twirl at Lord’s. Sahara’s deep pockets helped modernize Indian cricket, yet the company itself unraveled spectacularly. By the 2010s, Sahara was mired in financial and legal crises, its empire crumbling under the weight of regulatory battles. The logo vanished from the jersey—like the company itself from the public imagination.
Star: The Broadcaster That Burned Bright
Next came Star India, a name that felt destined for cricketing glory. The broadcaster brought flashier production, shinier coverage, and of course, its name on the Indian jersey. For a while, it worked. But when Disney swallowed up 21st Century Fox, Star became just another subsidiary in a giant’s portfolio. The once-towering brand lost its singular shine, fading into corporate consolidation. The Star that glittered on India’s chest burned out quietly.
Oppo: A Short-Lived Affair
Oppo’s sponsorship was different. A brash Chinese smartphone maker, hungry for brand visibility in the world’s largest cricket market. It spent lavishly to plaster its green logo across India’s kit. Yet the marriage was brief. Oppo quickly realized that the massive financial outlay wasn’t paying the marketing dividends it hoped for. Within a couple of years, the company pulled the plug. Another sponsor, another stumble.
Byju’s: Edtech Dreams Sour
Then came Byju’s—the great Indian edtech hope, flush with venture capital and dreams of world domination. Its name across India’s jersey was meant to symbolize the rise of homegrown unicorns. Instead, Byju’s ran headlong into a brutal funding winter and mounting scrutiny over governance. What was supposed to be a proud moment for Indian startups turned into yet another sponsor saga tainted by financial trouble.
Dream11: The Fantasy Feels Real
Now, Dream11 sits on the jersey. A fantasy gaming company that rode the boom in online sports betting and sponsorship frenzy. Its rise has been meteoric, but already, regulators are circling. Court challenges, tax disputes, and questions over the ethics of fantasy gaming cloud its horizon. Fans can’t help but mutter: will Dream11 escape the curse, or is it already in its grip?
A Coincidence—or Something More?
Skeptics dismiss it all as coincidence. Big brands burn out all the time, with or without cricket logos. But sport, like life, thrives on narratives, and this one has stuck. Every time India changes its jersey sponsor, fans hold their breath—not about the cricket, but about the fate of the company paying to be seen.
Maybe it’s nothing. Or maybe the jersey carries more than the weight of eleven players—it carries the unreasonable expectations of a billion people. And no brand, however rich or ambitious, can wear that for long without faltering.
