The ban on real money gaming in India has just delivered a massive blow to the world of cricket, and the numbers are staggering. Indian cricketers collectively stand to lose an estimated ₹200 crore every single year in endorsement income.
How Much Are Players Losing?
From legends like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma to rising stars like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, almost every major Indian cricketer was tied to a fantasy or real-money gaming platform.
- Virat Kohli’s deal with MPL alone was worth ₹10–12 crore annually.
- Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni were each believed to earn ₹6–7 crore from gaming endorsements.
For top players, these contracts formed just 5–10% of their total endorsement income. But for mid-level cricketers, the impact is brutal. For Mohammed Siraj and Sundar, losing deals with My11 Circle and Dream11 means a 30–40% cut in their brand earnings. For some players, the loss wipes out their entire endorsement portfolio.
The BCCI and IPL Impact
The financial hit doesn’t stop with players. Dream11 has already pulled out as India’s jersey sponsor. Meanwhile, My11 Circle, which paid ₹125 crore a year as an associate sponsor of the IPL, is also gone. Teams like KKR, SRH, and LSG, who earned ₹10–20 crore annually from gaming partnerships, will also lose that revenue.
The domino effect is real: smaller tournaments, domestic leagues, and even the Legends League Cricket will struggle to fill the sponsorship void left by gaming firms.
An ₹8,000–10,000 Crore Black Hole
Industry experts estimate the advertising industry will lose close to ₹8,000–10,000 crore every year because of this ban. Real money gaming companies contributed nearly 7–8% of India’s total ad market, and as much as 15–20% of digital ad spends. With the ban, almost all of that vanishes overnight.
What Next?
While the BCCI will likely find new sponsors quickly, for many cricketers this is a once-in-a-generation setback. The government’s move may have been aimed at curbing the harmful effects of online gaming, but the collateral damage has landed squarely on Indian cricket’s financial ecosystem.
For now, one thing is certain: the gaming ban has changed the economics of Indian cricket forever.
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