Will the so-called ‘jinx’ on Team India sponsors deter brands?

New Delhi: The short answer is no. It will not stop serious bidders, but it will make them more careful. India’s jersey is still the most valuable advertising space in the country.

Brands want that visibility. What will change is the way they evaluate the risk and the protections they ask for before signing.

Also read: BCCI to float tender for Team India sponsor as Dream11 faces ban

The talk of a “jinx” comes from recent history. Sahara ran into SEBI trouble after a long stint on the jersey. Star India faced a Competition Commission probe. 

Oppo signed a Rs 1,079 crore deal and still exited early, weighed down by weak returns and patent disputes. 

Byju’s struggled with payments and regulatory heat, and BCCI moved the NCLT over Rs 158 crore. 

Dream11 earlier faced GST scrutiny and is now directly hit by the real-money gaming ban.

This run of cases does not mean a jersey curse exists. It does mean boards will study the risk more closely than before.

For the new tender, expect bids to be a shade more conservative and the paperwork much tighter. Sponsors will test for three things above all else – legal exposure, policy volatility and financial strength. They will want a clean way out if rules change mid-term, compensation if the logo has to pause, and fee adjustments if matches or usage drop. 

Compliance promises will be stricter. Payment security will move to bank guarantees or escrow. Tenures may be shorter, two to three years with renewal options, so both sides can recalibrate if the environment shifts.

In plain terms, the “jinx” will temper pricing and slow approvals, but it will not empty the room. Deep-pocketed, brand-safe categories will still come. They will simply demand stronger safeguards before their name goes on India’s jersey.