Sachin Tendulkar Backs Gaming Startup Hitwicket

Former cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has supported Metasports Interactive, the company behind the mobile cricket strategy game Hitwicket. The financial details of the investment were not disclosed. Tendulkar will continue to be involved in Hitwicket’s in-game features, content, and promotional activities. He is the second notable cricket figure to invest in the startup recently, following Harsha Bhogle's undisclosed contribution in 2024.

Metasports has secured over $23 million in total funding across six years, with its most recent round in April bringing in $20 million from London-based investment firm Metica. This funding is being used to enhance marketing efforts and user acquisition. The game, developed by Kashyap Reddy and Keerti Singh, lets players act as team owners, coaches, and captains.

Metasports' CEO Kashyap Reddy highlighted that the startup has carved out a unique space in cricket gaming by focusing on strategic decision-making, and Tendulkar's endorsement validates this approach. Hitwicket boasts a global user base of 20 million across 120 countries, with an average daily engagement time of 51 minutes. The startup aims to reach 100 million downloads within three years.

Its revenue grew by 100% over the past six months, with in-app purchases generating over 97% of its income. Tendulkar's association with the game comes at a time when Bengaluru-based competitor LightFury Games is preparing to launch its own mobile cricket title, eCricket, in a closed beta phase. LightFury has raised $11 million in pre-Series A funding this year and has secured licensing agreements with renowned cricketers such as Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya.

India now has around 511 million gamers, and the country's gaming market revenue has surged 14.8% year-over-year to surpass $1 billion, as reported by Niko Partners.