Sachin Tendulkar Hitwicket Deal: Cricket Legend Invests in Metasports Gaming Startup

Sachin Tendulkar Hitwicket is the gaming announcement of the day: the cricket legend has invested in Metasports Interactive, the company behind the mobile cricket strategy game Hitwicket. The deal was announced on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and was reported the same day by The Economic Times, Moneycontrol, The Week, NDTV Profit and TalkEsport. Tendulkar will also serve as the game's brand ambassador, and his likeness will be incorporated into Hitwicket as a playable character, according to The Economic Times.

The financial details have not been disclosed. The Economic Times reported the amount and valuation were withheld under confidentiality agreements, and sources described the cash component as nominal relative to Tendulkar's endorsement fees, with cash and equity combined.

Sachin Tendulkar Hitwicket: why the cricket legend chose this game

Tendulkar's own explanation centres on strategy, not reflexes. In the statement carried across the November 3 coverage, he said: "Hitwicket stood out to me for how it brings the strategic thinking behind cricket into the game. Cricket has always involved reading the bowler, assessing the field and deciding the right approach for every ball. Hitwicket captures that decision-making, going beyond reflexes to recreate how a cricketer thinks in the middle." He added that he had enjoyed playing the game and believed in what the team was building, which made the association feel natural.

That fits how Hitwicket is designed. Players manage a virtual cricket team as owner, coach and captain, making tactical calls such as planning a chase, deciding when to attack or defend, and choosing which bowlers to target, rather than winning through shot timing alone. The Economic Times also reported that Tendulkar's cricketing insights will be used to explain strategies to players inside the game, and will help shape gameplay.

What Hitwicket is, and how big it already is

Hitwicket is a mobile-first, multiplayer cricket strategy game from Hyderabad-based Metasports Interactive, founded by Kashyap Reddy and Keerti Singh. It launched in 2020, with The Week noting an initial beta in 2020 and a full release by 2021. The company says the game now has more than 20 million players across 120 countries, a figure repeated across the November 3 reports.

The engagement numbers are the core of the pitch. Metasports says players spend an average of 51 minutes a day in the game, a figure The Week compared with about 15 minutes more than Candy Crush, and that revenue has doubled over the past six months. More than 97 percent of revenue comes from in-app purchases, according to the company, and more than half of revenue now comes from outside India, with markets including the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Canada named by The Economic Times.

The 100 million download target and the funding behind it

Metasports has set a clear public target: take Hitwicket from more than 20 million players today to 100 million downloads within the next three years, a goal stated in the November 3 announcements and in TalkEsport's report, which puts the horizon at 2029. The company is not starting from scratch on funding. In April 2026 it raised 20 million dollars in user-acquisition funding from London-based Metica, a non-dilutive model in which the company keeps its equity and repays based on performance measures such as user growth and revenue efficiency.

Tendulkar is not the game's only famous backer. Commentator Harsha Bhogle is an investor and lends his voice to Hitwicket's AI-backed live commentary, which generates lines on the fly. The Economic Times also named Prime Venture Partners, Horizon Ventures and The Chennai Angels among the backers.

What Tendulkar's role will actually involve

• Strategic investor: Tendulkar has taken a significant minority stake in Metasports Interactive, with the amount and valuation undisclosed.
• Brand ambassador: he will front Hitwicket's brand campaigns, content and in-game experiences, according to the November 3 announcements.
• Playable character: his likeness will be incorporated into Hitwicket as a playable character, The Economic Times reported.
• Gameplay input: his insights into how elite cricketers think on the field will feed into strategy explanations and more realistic gameplay, according to Moneycontrol and the company's chief executive.
• Growth bet: the partnership is aimed at carrying Hitwicket from 20 million players to 100 million downloads in three years.

A big day for Indian celebrity gaming investments

The Tendulkar announcement landed on the same day as another major Indian celebrity move into gaming. TalkEsport noted that actor Mahesh Babu invested in Mumbai studio Shortgun Games on November 3, backing its PC and console title Project Takedown. Together, the two deals make November 3 a notable day for Indian games: a cricket icon backing a mobile strategy title, and a film superstar backing a PC and console studio, both betting that Indian-made games can travel globally.

For Hitwicket, the test now is conversion, not announcement buzz: whether Tendulkar's presence as a playable character and strategy guide keeps new players past their first week. The deal itself is confirmed by multiple reputable outlets on November 3; only its price is private.

Sachin Tendulkar Hitwicket FAQs