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Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Arun Dhumal spoke on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finally having started the "ball rolling" as far as finding a new lead sponsor for Team India is concerned and also expressed his views on Team India playing arch-rivals Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup despite the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April this year.
Dhumal was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Playcom Business of Sports Summit 2025. Speaking to ANI about Team India playing Pakistan during the continental showpiece event, Dhumal said, "I would like to wish Team India all the best. I think the government has clarified its position. We are not going to play Pakistan, but we are going to play them in ACC/ICC events. So we will follow what the government says." The Indian Government has reformed a policy to deal with Pakistan in sports events and declared that the Indian athletes and teams will be allowed to participate in "international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan. However, India will continue to refrain from participating in competitions in Pakistan and will not participate in any bilateral competition. Along with this, it is also declared that the visa policy will be "simplified" for sportspersons, team officials, technical personnel, and office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies for a "maximum" period of five years, confirmed a source in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) earlier in August. This development comes amid the ongoing outrage over the Indian cricket team facing Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup, which will take place on September 14 in Dubai. The outrage over India facing their arch-rival in the tournament stems from the anger against the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 tourists were killed on April 22 by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. India responded with Operation Sindoor on May 7 to avenge the attack and dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan. In the aftermath of India's response, the strained relationship between the two neighbouring nations further slumped. Speaking on finding a new lead sponsor for Team India, he said, "We have started the ball rolling as far as finding a new sponsor is concerned, and in 2-3 weeks, you will get to know that." Notably, Team India is playing the Asia Cup without a lead sponsor. Earlier in September, the BCCI kick-started the process of gaining a new sponsor as they released an invitation for expression of interest for the lead sponsorship rights for the national team. The last date for parties to purchase this invitation of interest is September 12, and the bid submission deadline is September 16. The Asia Cup will kick off on September 9 and conclude on September 28. Following the Indian government's passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill last month, which prohibits real-money gaming, Team India needed a new sponsor, as the aforementioned form of gaming was Dream 11's main business. Following this development, Dream11 communicated to the BCCI that it would have to pull out of the deal, which had an exit clause in place to account for such government regulations. Dream11's contract was until 2026 and was worth 44 million USD (Rs 358 crore approximately), as per ESPNCricinfo. The Annual General Meeting of the BCCI is taking place on September 28. During the AGM, election to all the top posts, including the president, will be on agenda. Speaking on that, Dhumal said, "We will have the nomination starting in a week's time, so we will get to know. We will have a better picture as to who is going to be the next BCCI chief." (ANI)
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