Sachin Tendulkar invests in Hitwicket maker Metasports, eyes 100 million downloads

Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has made a strategic investment in Metasports Interactive, the Hyderabad-based start-up behind the cricket strategy game Hitwicket, the company announced on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. The amount was not disclosed. Founded by Kashyap Reddy and Keerti Singh, the company says Hitwicket, launched in 2020, has more than 20 million players in over 120 countries. As part of the deal, Tendulkar will feature in the game's in-game experiences, content and brand campaigns, and reports say a game mode will let players control him. The company says it aims to reach 100 million downloads within three years.

Hitwicket is one of the few Indian-made games built around cricket strategy rather than simple batting or bowling: players manage a team and make tactical choices. Its claimed reach across more than 120 countries shows it has found players well beyond India. Tendulkar said the game "stood out" to him for how it brings the strategic thinking behind cricket into play. Co-founder Kashyap Reddy said the company has made strategic decision-making central to the experience, and that working with Tendulkar is helping the team understand how elite cricketers think on the field.

Tendulkar's investment adds something money alone cannot. His name and likeness carry weight with cricket fans, and the plan to bring him into the game as a playable character is the kind of feature that can bring in new players. For a start-up chasing 100 million downloads, that kind of recognition can make marketing work harder.

The company's earlier funding shows how it has been paying for growth. In April 2026, London-based Metica provided $20 million in non-dilutive user-acquisition funding, money to be spent mainly on marketing and winning new players, without the company giving up shares. At the time, Reddy said Metasports was among the first Indian gaming companies to access this kind of structured funding, and Metica's chief executive Phil Mohr said the studio stood out for its ability to scale in India and abroad.

The numbers since then suggest that spending is showing results. In April, the studio reported more than 18 million users in 109 countries; at the Tendulkar announcement, it cited more than 20 million players in over 120 countries. The company also says revenue doubled in the past six months, a claim that has not been independently checked.

Peepals calculation: From more than 18 million users in April 2026 to more than 20 million in November 2026 is a rise of at least about 2 million, or roughly 11 per cent (2 divided by 18), and the country count rose by 11 (120 minus 109). Reaching 100 million downloads would mean about five times today's player figure (100 divided by 20), though players and downloads are not the same measure. Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Hitwicket gets a famous face for its marketing and a new in-game feature built around Tendulkar.

Long-term: If the company reaches its download target, it would be one of the largest cricket games made in India, and a signal that Indian studios can build global sports games.

Who is affected: Hitwicket players, Metasports Interactive and its investors, Indian game developers, and cricket fans who play mobile games.

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