The Aatmanirbhar Strategizer: Kashyap Reddy, Cofounder & CEO, Hitwicket Superstars Being committed to innovation and keeping its players engaged by staying aligned with the latest trends and what's happening in the world, the startup recently joined hands with Harsha Bhogle as a strategic investor
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Tendulkar, Dhoni, and Dada are not just mere names, rather; they are emotions to millions of Indians. According to the Indian Cricket Fandom Report 2023, cricket was the most followed and most watched sport amongst urban Indians at 52 per cent. This stat solidifies Indian Premier League's standing as one of the top 10 greatest sports leagues in the world. This deep-rooted love for the sporting and gaming culture in India led to Kashyap Reddy and Keerti Singh founding Hitwicket, a strategy-driven cricket gaming startup in 2020. "My childhood interest in creating board games, coupled with later involvement in online gaming, combined with Keerti's shared love for cricket, laid the foundation for building a mobile cricket game that captured the strategic essence of the sport," shares Kashyap Reddy, Cofounder & CEO, Hitwicket Superstars.
In the same year, the startup emerged as one of the favourite Made in India gaming apps in the AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge.
The duo launched its second game, Hitwicket Superstars as a Beta in April 2019. Reddy points out that the venture stands out from the rest due to its unique blend of immersive gameplay, strategic depth, and global appeal. "We take the best parts of cricket - like planning your moves and the fun of the game - and mix them into our games. This way, we make games that feel like you're both playing cricket and being the brainy coach behind the team. It's all about bringing the cool parts of cricket and smart thinking together, making every game a fun adventure in sports and strategy," he shares.
Being committed to innovation and keeping its players engaged by staying aligned with the latest trends and what's happening in the world, the startup recently joined hands with Harsha Bhogle as a strategic investor, "His involvement we aim to elevate Hitwicket's gaming ecosystem, providing valuable insights for enhancing gameplay and expanding our reach to a wider global audience." Presently, it has over 5 M downloads across iOS and Android platforms, with players spending an average of 42 minutes on the game and has a presence in 109 countries, with the top four markets being India, the UK, the USA, and Australia. "Hitwicket has managed to create a gateway for American audiences to understand the sport, experiencing a 2X growth in the last three months in the market," notes Reddy.
So, what's next for the startup? "With the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in the USA, this surge in popularity, mirrored in the success of T20 leagues worldwide such as the IPL and Big Bash, fuels our plans to broaden Hitwicket's reach. Our strategy leverages the momentum from these developments, including the recent launch of Major League Cricket in the US, which has already drawn substantial investment," he concludes. Notably, Hitwicket is now going to enter into the world of Football, NFTs and Blockchain gaming.
