Indian cricket team sponsorship: Curses have etched their place in cultural narratives, from superstitions like Friday the 13th to something as common as a cat crossing your path! Yet, there exists an intriguing tale that combines sports fervor and ill-fated corporate affiliations: the uncanny jinx woven around the Indian cricket team and its sponsors.
Unlike the ordinary pendulum of on-field performance, this jinx takes an unconventional route — intertwining the destiny of sponsors with the cricket team’s trajectory. Imagine the fate of the team, whose cleanest sponsor till date is ironically a tobacco company!
Let’s analyze the fate of the various sponsors of the Indian cricket team, and the way the jinx of Indian cricket team sponsorship consumed each one of them:
Wills [1993 – 2000]:
Let’s look at the case of Wills, the first sponsor of India’s men’s cricket jersey in the early 1990s following liberalization. Following India’s sponsor free stint in the 1992 World Cup, Wills stepped in, becoming the official sponsor of the Indian cricket team.
In fact, during the early 90s, Wills had such clout that they even sponsored an entire Cricket World Cup in 1996, the only other tobacco company to do so after Benson and Hedges in 1992! Before ICC took over the sponsorship in 1999, the Cricket World Cup had seen all kinds of sponsors, ranging from insurance companies like Prudential, to tobacco companies like Wills and Benson & Hedges!
When surrogate advertising rules became stricter, Wills had to end its association, even though they offered genuine clothing and numerous retail stores. Oddly enough, this sponsor remained largely untarnished throughout their time with the team.
Also read: A World Cup is around, and there is no buzz! What has cricket come to?
Sahara [2001 – 2013]:
Prior to Sahara’s involvement, multiple companies experimented with Indian cricket team sponsorship, including Coca Cola and ITC. However, none left a lasting impact, until 2001, when Sahara arrived on the scene.
In 2001, Sahara India stepped in as a sponsor, aligning with the remarkable ascent of its patron Subrata Roy, known as “Saharashri.” This dynamic pairing added allure to the sponsorship. Beyond cricket, Sahara also supported hockey teams and Bangladesh’s cricket team briefly. For more than a decade, Sahara was not just a sponsor, it was an identity stamped with the Indian cricket team.
Beyond the region of cricket, Sahara also tried their hands in other professional sports, from becoming the official sponsor for Force India Formula 1 racing team, to buying an IPL team of their own. Unfortunately, allegations against Subrata Roy’s finances, that exploded in 2013, led to a tragic downfall, shattering the once-ascendant journey of the partnership.
Star India [2014 – 2017]:
Star India, a major media company, used to sponsor the Indian cricket team for a long time. But things changed when Disney took over Star India. It was during the same year Fox Star was acquired by Disney.
After that, Star India no longer had the rights to broadcast the Indian Premier League (IPL) independently. This affected Star’s finances and its sponsorship of the Indian cricket team. The arrival of Jio in the streaming league only made matters worse. Currently, Disney is thinking of selling Star India permanently.
Oppo [2017 – 2019]:
China also ventured into Indian sports. Li Ning supported our Olympic team, Vivo sponsored IPL, and Oppo, a Chinese smartphone maker, became the official sponsor of the Indian cricket team in an agreement with the BCCI.
Yet, with growing India-China tensions, the Indian government restricted Chinese companies like Oppo. In fact, there were talks of reviving Oppo’s sponsorship, but all died down after the infamous Galwan clashes with China! Consequently, Oppo’s former prominence has waned, highlighting the impact of geopolitical relations on sports sponsorships.
BYJUs [2019 – 2023]:
In 2019, the edtech firm Byju’s took over from Oppo through a $35 million deal. The trajectory of BYJUs and Sahara has been more or less the same, if you look at it closely in context of the Indian cricket team sponsorship.
However, like Sahara, even BYJUs couldn’t sustain for long. In fact, its downfall was steeper and more tragic than that of Sahara. While financial constraints may be a valid reason for layoffs, it raises eyebrows when a company allocates substantial sums, estimated at $5-7 million annually, towards signing Lionel Messi as the brand ambassador for its social impact arm, Education for All. Yes, the oft quoted “Nero played the fiddle while Rome burnt” actually turned real for BYJUs. However, even the image of Messi couldn’t save the sinking fortunes of BYJUs.
Subsequently, due to consistent losses, Byju’s decided not to extend the sponsorship agreement. Presently, Byju’s faces numerous challenges, including the resignation of auditors and three board members, along with significant delays in financial reporting. We’ve not even begun with the impending government enquiries yet!
Also read: Indian Test Cricket, destroyed by Sixer Culture and VVIP Elitism
Dream 11 [2023 – Present]:
Fantasy sports platform Dream11 stepped into the sponsorship realm by clinching title sponsorship rights for the IPL and even securing jersey sponsorship rights for the Indian cricket team. Yet, the Indian government’s decision to impose a substantial 28% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on fantasy sports platforms, including Dream11, has raised a financial hurdle. This imposition may potentially influence Dream11’s ability to maintain their sponsorship commitment to the Indian cricket team in the long run. The introduction of this tax has introduced an element of uncertainty in Dream11’s role as a sponsor, throwing into question the continuation of their support to the cricket team.
Harish Bijoor, an expert in brands, notes that India has a strong belief in superstitions, even among politicians, sports figures, and celebrities. He believes that brand superstitions might come true. On the topic of the cricket jersey jinx, Bijoor says the first time could be chance, the second coincidence, the third a pattern, and the fourth a sign. This holds true for Indian cricket team’s sponsorship jinx as well!
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