Online fantasy gaming website Dream11 has bagged the title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League for the upcoming season after the BCCI had suspended the existing sponsorship with Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Vivo recently.
Dream11 outbid companies like Tata Sons, Unacademy and Byju’s to bag the title sponsorship deal for the franchise-based league.
However, as the deal was announced media reports of heavy Chinese investment in Dream11 resurfaced.
The announcement drew plenty of reactions on social media. Here are some of the top ones on Twitter
#Dream11 bags #IPL title sponsorship for ₹222 Cr. The others who bid were UNACADEMY for ₹210 Cr, Tata Sons ₹180 Cr & Byju ₹125 Cr.
— Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) August 18, 2020
Welcome to the #Dream11IPL. The new economy companies are dreaming big. Good to see.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 18, 2020
Who would have ever thought a few years back a Fantasy Platform would be the Title sponsor of the World's biggest Cricket competition? #timesarechanging #IPL2020
— Gaurav Sundararaman (@gaurav_sundar) August 18, 2020
However, it didn’t take too long for Twitteratti to bring up Dream11’s Chinese connection.
Breaking news : DREAM 11 will be the Title sponsor for #IPL2020.. #Dream11 is a online gaming company.. which is very closely associated with IPL teams! And the big twist is... @Dream11 has also #Chinese connection....it also has chinese investment.
— Sumit Awasthi (@awasthis) August 18, 2020
Tencent Holdings, China's largest gaming and social media company, has a majority stake in Indian gaming app Dream11 Fantasy. https://t.co/5RKFwKgFZm https://t.co/Bztyjmgf7c
— smitha nair (@smitharnair) August 18, 2020
⭐️ #Dream11 IPL 2020
— StockTalk (@stocktalk_in) August 18, 2020
It’s ironical how people are celebrating that IPL 2020 will no longer be sponsored by the Chinese company Vivo and instead by Dream11!
Here’s a fact, Dream11 has Tencent Holdings as one of its lead investors and guess which country Tencent comes from! 🤷🏻♂️
D11 IPL XIII 2020
— Tareque Laskar (@tarequelaskar) August 18, 2020
Strong password choice.
D11IPLXIII2020腾讯控股有限公司
— Tareque Laskar (@tarequelaskar) August 18, 2020
Strongest password.
Twitter though was also quick to see the funny side to it with many Bollywood references popping up on the social platform
JUST IN : Dream 11 to be new IPL sponsor
— BCCI ➐ (@not_BCCI) August 18, 2020
Now runs scored by Captain will be doubled and runs scored by Vice captain will be 1.5x according to Dream 11 rules.#Dream11 #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/W8j1cHu2xb
#Dream11 bagged IPL sponsorship
— Mannat (@thandrakhleyar) August 18, 2020
Sattebaaz now- pic.twitter.com/o6SpEWIz8N
Dream 11 bags IPL sponsorship.
— Sanghi Captain (@CaptainIndia26) August 18, 2020
Meanwhile other bidders 😭😭#Dream11 pic.twitter.com/k02TLss0Jd
When Other sponsors like Patanjali, Byju and Jio realised that Dream11 is Title sponsor of the IPL2020 @IPL @BCCI
— fenilkothari (@fenilkothari) August 18, 2020
#dream11 pic.twitter.com/6O70rr5FwZ
It's Official #Dream11 IPL 2020
— Abhi🇮🇳 (@memewalachokara) August 18, 2020
Dream 11 to Patanjali , Jio , Unacademy pic.twitter.com/Mh0lNDPqjU
#Dream11 to IPL sponsorship title pic.twitter.com/ZXmew1WFYI
— $ (@Just_said_it) August 18, 2020
#Dream11 BAGS IPL sponsorship
— Prithviraj (@prithviraj_78) August 18, 2020
Meanwhile Baba Ramdev: pic.twitter.com/PJeECeJTpS