The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has strengthened the commercial value of India’s home cricket season with a new sponsorship package worth more than ₹130 crore. Campa, SBI Life and ChatGPT have been named Associate Partners for India’s home cricket programme, in a deal that will run through March 2028.

The three partnerships cover 35 bilateral matches and represent a 44% increase over the previous commercial cycle. The development comes at a significant time for Indian cricket, with the BCCI continuing to reshape its sponsorship portfolio while also looking for a new title sponsor for India’s home international matches.

The agreement also stands out because of the variety of brands involved. A beverage company, a life insurance provider and an artificial intelligence platform will now share space around India’s home cricket, reflecting how widely the sport’s commercial appeal extends beyond traditional consumer categories.

BCCI’s new ₹130 crore sponsorship deal explained

The latest arrangement covers India’s home cricket seasons until March 2028, beginning with the upcoming home series against the West Indies. The West Indies series is scheduled to begin on September 27, marking the start of the new commercial cycle.

According to details released by the BCCI, the combined value of the three partnerships is above ₹130 crore. That represents a 44% jump compared with the previous cycle, when the three associate-partner agreements were valued at around ₹90 crore.

The increase is particularly notable because the earlier cycle had a base price of approximately ₹82 lakh per match. The new arrangement therefore gives the board a considerably stronger commercial return from the same broad sponsorship category.

The three companies joining the new cycle are not entirely new to Indian cricket. SBI Life and Campa were already associate partners during the previous cycle, while Atomberg was the third partner. Atomberg has now been replaced by ChatGPT in the latest arrangement.

Campa emerges as the highest bidder

Among the three new agreements, Campa secured the highest per-match valuation.

The beverage brand reportedly bid ₹1.31 crore per match for the associate-partner rights. ChatGPT and SBI Life each quoted ₹1.20 crore per match. Campa’s bid also reportedly came ahead of competing offers from Bisleri and Indian Oil Corporation, both of which were understood to have quoted ₹1.20 crore per match.

With 35 bilateral matches included in the commercial package, the individual deals together push the overall value beyond the ₹130 crore mark.

The numbers underline the continuing strength of Indian cricket as a commercial property. Even without factoring in the value of the title sponsorship category, brands remain willing to pay a substantial premium for visibility around Team India’s home fixtures.

Why the 44% increase matters

The jump from approximately ₹90 crore to more than ₹130 crore is more than just a larger sponsorship cheque. It signals that the commercial value attached to India’s home cricket has continued to rise.

The BCCI has described the increase as evidence of strong demand for association with Indian cricket. The board’s leadership has also highlighted the ability of the home season to attract brands from very different industries.

BCCI President Mithun Manhas said the latest partnerships demonstrate the strength of the Indian cricket ecosystem and the trust major brands place in the reach and engagement offered by the sport. He also pointed to the rise in the combined value of the partnerships as an encouraging sign for the commercial prospects of the home season.

BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia similarly said the 44% growth reflected the confidence brands have in the board and Team India. He noted that the arrival of companies from beverage, insurance and artificial intelligence categories demonstrated the variety of commercial opportunities available around India’s home cricket calendar.

ChatGPT’s entry adds a new dimension

The inclusion of ChatGPT is arguably the most eye-catching element of the new sponsorship arrangement.

While technology companies have increasingly entered sports sponsorships, an AI-powered conversational platform becoming an associate partner of Indian cricket represents a notable crossover between technology and one of the country’s biggest sporting properties.

ChatGPT is described by the BCCI as an AI-powered conversational assistant capable of understanding and responding to users in natural, human-like language, while generating text, speech and images. Its association with Team India’s home cricket creates an opportunity to connect artificial intelligence with one of the world's largest and most engaged cricket audiences.

For the BCCI, the partnership also expands its commercial portfolio into a rapidly developing technology category. For ChatGPT, association with Indian cricket provides access to an enormous audience across television, digital platforms, stadiums and social media.

The partnership could also open the door to new forms of fan engagement as AI becomes increasingly integrated into sports consumption. While the precise activation plans have not been detailed, the BCCI has indicated that the new partnerships could create fresh ways to engage with fans and enhance their experience of Indian cricket.

Campa and SBI Life continue their association

Campa’s continued presence reinforces the beverage brand’s growing connection with Indian cricket. The brand has positioned itself as an Indian beverage company with a long consumer legacy while expanding across multiple categories.

Its ₹1.31 crore-per-match bid makes it the highest bidder among the three associate partners in the latest cycle, highlighting the value the company places on its association with Team India.

SBI Life, meanwhile, continues its relationship with Indian cricket after also being part of the previous commercial cycle. The life insurance company has built its brand around financial security and long-term protection, giving it a different positioning from the beverage and technology partners.

The combination means the BCCI now has associate partners representing three distinctly different consumer propositions: beverages, financial protection and artificial intelligence.

New deals come as BCCI searches for title sponsor

The sponsorship development is also significant because it comes against the backdrop of an ongoing search for a new title sponsor for India’s home international matches.

The previous title sponsorship arrangement ended in August 2026. The BCCI had invited bids for title sponsorship as well as associate-partner rights for Team India’s international matches played in India and domestic competitions, including the Ranji Trophy.

The deadline for title sponsorship bids was August 13, while the original deadline for associate-partner bids was August 25. The BCCI later extended the associate-partner deadline to September 7 as it worked through the broader sponsorship process.

The successful completion of the associate-partner deals therefore provides the board with a significant block of commercial revenue through March 2028, even as the title sponsorship slot remains a separate commercial priority.

Commercial growth comes alongside a packed cricket calendar

The new sponsorship deals arrive as Indian cricket prepares for an extremely busy period.

The Indian team is scheduled to play seven Tests, 14 ODIs and 16 T20Is before the next IPL season in late March, alongside participation in the Asian Games. The packed schedule has also raised concerns over player workload and injuries.

At a recent review meeting, the BCCI discussed the need for a better-planned Future Tour Programme. Among the proposed changes were longer recovery periods between series, more time for players to acclimatise to overseas conditions and the inclusion of warm-up matches, particularly ahead of assignments in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia.

That makes the commercial growth of the home season particularly interesting. While the board is looking to maximise the financial value of its cricket calendar, it is simultaneously under pressure to ensure that the schedule does not place excessive demands on players.

What the ₹130 crore deal means for Indian cricket

At its core, the latest sponsorship package sends a clear message: Indian cricket continues to command a premium in the commercial marketplace.

A 44% increase over the previous associate-partner cycle suggests that brands continue to see Team India’s home matches as an effective platform for visibility, consumer engagement and brand building. The fact that companies from such different industries are competing for these rights further illustrates the breadth of the audience associated with Indian cricket.

For the BCCI, the immediate benefit is stronger commercial revenue and greater certainty through March 2028. For sponsors, the attraction lies in the scale and passion of the Indian cricket audience.

And for fans, the most intriguing aspect may be what these partnerships eventually produce beyond traditional advertising. With an AI company joining a beverage giant and a major insurer around Team India’s home season, Indian cricket’s commercial landscape is clearly becoming more diverse.

The ₹130 crore-plus deal is therefore not simply another sponsorship announcement. It is another indication of how Indian cricket continues to evolve as a powerful sports, entertainment and business ecosystem — one where technology, consumer brands and financial services increasingly converge around the game.

With input from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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