In an advertising landscape often saturated with celebrity cameos and high-octane visuals, Dream11’s latest Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign has emerged as a rare standout—marrying big names with an even bigger idea.
Titled “Aapki Team Mein Kaun” (Who’s on Your Team), the campaign blends nostalgia, satire, and sports fanaticism into a 2.5-minute mini-drama that has captivated audiences nationwide. Featuring Bollywood luminaries Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor alongside cricket stars Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, the ad’s charm lies not only in its star power but in its clever writing and cinematic direction.
Behind this theatrical spectacle is a creative trio: Adarsh Atal, Group Chief Creative Officer at Quotient Ventures; Shriram Iyer, Co-founder of ZeroFifty Mediawork; and acclaimed filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari, who directed the spot. At the recent Global Pioneers Summit hosted by Storyboard18, the team offered rare insight into the campaign’s genesis, execution, and staggering success.
“The actors were completely invested,” Tiwari said in a panel discussion. “They were secure enough to laugh at themselves, and that brought a lot of authenticity to the performance.” He cited a now-viral moment in the ad where Khan tweaks Kapoor’s cheek—a spontaneous gesture refined between takes at Kapoor’s own urging. “It’s the small things,” Tiwari noted, “that make a big difference.”
Tiwari, a veteran of Dream11 commercials, said the long-standing relationship with the brand—and with many of the athletes—allowed for a smoother creative process. “When there’s familiarity, there’s trust. And when there’s trust, you can push for more.”
Indeed, while the reported budget garnered attention, insiders insist that the campaign’s impact cannot be credited to dollars alone. “It’s always idea first,” said Iyer. “Money doesn’t buy you resonance. Writing does.”
Iyer explained that the brand’s goal was never to simply fill airtime during India’s most-watched sporting season. Rather, it was to elevate the experience of fantasy gaming through entertainment. “If you’re going to be this visible, you can’t afford to bore people,” he said. “We’ve never been more serious about comedy.”
That seriousness paid off. The ad was widely praised online, with some social media users claiming it outshone entire Bollywood productions in both pacing and punch.
According to Atal, what truly enabled the campaign’s creative latitude wasn’t the money—it was the freedom. “The real budget we were given was time and trust,” he said. “We spent weeks circling ideas, refining them, throwing them out and starting over. Once we found the idea, everyone in the room knew it was right.”
Even the logistical challenges—coordinating celebrity schedules, aligning shoot dates with the cricket calendar—were seen as secondary. “The idea always comes first,” Atal said. “If it makes us laugh, makes us think, makes us excited—we know we’re on the right path.”
This year’s campaign, by all accounts, raised the bar not just for Dream11 but for sports marketing in India. But as the team looks ahead to the 2026 edition, they’re mindful of the pressure to outperform themselves. “We start earlier every year,” said Iyer. “The benchmark keeps moving.”
The creators also offered a glimpse into the collaborative atmosphere on set, noting that the camaraderie extended well beyond the script. “We ended up making additional spots just because we were having so much fun,” Atal revealed, pointing to a “Rapid Fire” segment that was developed spontaneously during filming.
“It felt like making a movie,” Iyer added. “Everyone embraced the humor, even when the joke was on them. That kind of humility is rare—and it’s a message to the industry. Maybe we all need to take ourselves a little less seriously.”
Still, while the campaign’s humor may be disarming, the strategic intent behind it is anything but lighthearted. As Dream11 continues to dominate India’s competitive fantasy gaming market, its leadership sees advertising not just as brand-building, but as culture-shaping.
And for now, they’ve made one thing clear: Khan and Kapoor may be in the spotlight, but the true star is the story.