The cricket economy is set to undergo radical changes, with Indian cricketers set to face major losses following the ban on real money gaming as the Prevention and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 was passed last week, with several companies closely associated with the sport being hit.
The aftershocks of the government’s strong decision have already been felt as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have confirmed that they will not continue their partnership with Dream11, who are Team India’s principal shirt sponsor. For those unversed, BCCI had a three-year deal worth Rs. 358 crore with the fantasy gaming company, which was supposed to end in 2026, but the team are set to play the 2025 Asia Cup without a shirt sponsor or with a new one.
Meanwhile, the Indian Premier League (IPL) also has a Rs. 125 crore deal with My11 Circle, which is also under threat post the new legislation.
Rohit, Virat, And Dhoni Face Major Losses
However, it is not just the BCCI but Indian cricketers on a personal level that are set to see their finances affected. As per a report by Cricbuzz, Indian cricketers are likely to lose Rs. 150-200 crore collectively as they lose their sponsorship deals with them.
The published information reveals that Virat’s partnership with Mobile Premier League (MPL) was worth around Rs. 10-12 crores, while Rohit and Dhoni had deals ranging from Rs. 6-7 crores with Dream11 and Winzo, respectively. Several other players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, among others, have deals with a company involved in the real gaming space.
The same report states that contracts with these companies accounted for 5-10% of players’ income, but the case is different for some players, for whom the number might be in the range of 50-100% with Mohammed Siraj cited as an example.