The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended full support to the central government’s two new bills — the National Sports Governance Law, 2025, and the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. While the former has already been passed, the latter cleared the Lok Sabha recently and is awaiting final approval. According to the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, the board will follow both laws in “true letter and spirit”.
These regulations are expected to have a considerable impact on Indian cricket, especially in terms of sponsorship and international fixtures. The proposed Online Gaming Bill seeks to impose a blanket ban on all real-money gaming platforms and their promoters, which directly involves Dream11, the current official shirt sponsor of the BCCI. The fantasy gaming platform is reported to be paying the board ₹358 crore for the sponsorship rights running from July 2023 to March 2026.
Speaking about the issue, Devajit Saikia explained that once the bill becomes law, the BCCI will carefully examine its provisions. If sponsorships from such companies remain permissible, the board will continue; if not, it will completely withdraw. He drew a comparison with past restrictions on cigarette and liquor companies, pointing out that the BCCI had stopped taking sponsorship from them once government policy prohibited it. He emphasised that the cricket board’s actions would always be in line with the laws of the country, stating clearly that the BCCI would abide by every rule framed by the central government.
The National Sports Governance Law, meanwhile, has clarified India’s position on cricketing ties with Pakistan. Bilateral matches remain prohibited, meaning Indian players will not face Pakistan in one-on-one series. However, the law allows India to compete against Pakistan in multinational tournaments, paving the way for their clash in the 2025 Asia Cup scheduled for September. Devajit Saikia highlighted that the government had considered the interests of players, teams and upcoming events in the country while framing the law and the BCCI fully endorsed this approach.
Reiterating the board’s stance, Devajit Saikia assured that the BCCI would never act outside government policy, whether regarding sponsorships or international participation.
He concluded by stressing that Indian cricket will follow every directive issued by the central government with complete commitment and without exception.
