World Cup-winning former India’s cricket captain and icon Rohit Sharma joins LightFury Games as an investor and licensed player for eCricket, as the cricket title gears up for its phased closed beta rollout in September 2026.
Bengaluru-based LightFury Games announced the partnership on 24 August, following the release of the game’s second official teaser, which crossed one million views over the weekend. The studio said the response reflects growing interest in its upcoming cricket gaming title, which aims to combine competitive gameplay, social experience and authentic cricket elements for a global audience.
LightFury Games is an India-based AAA-focused game-tech studio led by Karan Shroff, Anurag Banerjee and Tina Balachandran. The leadership team has worked on more than 40 AAA titles. In 2026, the company raised a further US$11 million to support the development of its global cricket gaming franchise.
With the investment, Sharma becomes the eight marquee Indian cricketer to back LightFury Games. He joins MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Tilak Varma and Sai Sudharsan as strategic investors in the company.
Sharma will also feature as an officially licensed player in eCricket. According to the company, his experience at the highest level of the sport and understanding of competitive cricket will contribute to the game’s development and its focus on delivering an authentic cricket experience.
The game has already attracted more than 300,000 sign-ups ahead of its phased closed beta, which is scheduled to begin in September. Early players will receive hands-on access and their feedback will be used to refine the game before its wider launch later this year.
The latest teaser also highlights Ultimate Squad, one of the game’s core modes. It will allow players to build their dream teams from a roster of more than 700 officially licensed cricketers from around the world. The mode is designed to offer players different combinations, match-ups and strategies as they compete against others.
Former Indian cricketer and television personality Navjot Singh Sidhu will join eCricket as one of its official commentators. He will be part of a wider line-up of commentary voices featured in the game.
Indian cricketer Sharma said, “High-performance sport is built on preparation, precision and the pursuit of continuous improvement. I see those same values reflected in what LightFury Games is building with eCricket. Their ambition to create a world-class cricket experience from India is compelling, and I’m excited to support that vision while helping bring the game closer to millions of cricket fans around the world.”
LightFury Games co-founder and CEO Shroff commented, “India has been one of the world’s largest gaming markets for years. Our ambition is to show that India can build defining game franchises for the world. eCricket is our commitment to creating an authentic, competitive and technologically advanced cricket experience-made in India, for the world. The response so far, with over 300,000 sign-ups and our latest teaser crossing one million views, reinforces both the scale of that opportunity and the passion cricket fans have for this category. Having Sharma join this journey is a defining milestone. His pursuit of excellence, understanding of the game and deep connection with cricket fans reflect what we want eCricket to stand for. With Ultimate Squad, we’re giving players the freedom to build their ultimate squad from a deep roster of officially licensed cricketers and create their own competitive cricket journeys. It brings together the authenticity, strategy and competition that are at the heart of our vision for eCricket.”
With its closed beta approaching, eCricket is now moving from anticipation to player participation, with LightFury Games looking to build a competitive cricket franchise from India for audiences around the world.
