LightFury Games Adds Rohit Sharma As Investor Ahead Of eCricket’s September Trial

Former India captain Rohit Sharma has joined gaming studio LightFury Games as an investor and will feature as an officially licensed player in its upcoming mobile cricket game, eCricket. 

LightFury did not disclose the size or terms of Sharma’s investment.

Sharma is the eighth marquee cricketer to invest in the Bengaluru-based gaming studio. Its other cricketer investors include MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Tilak Varma, and Sai Sudharsan.

The announcement comes as LightFury prepares to begin the phased closed beta rollout of eCricket in September 2026. Early users will get access to the game and provide feedback to help the startup refine it ahead of a wider launch later this year. 

More than 3 Lakh users have signed up for eCricket, while its latest teaser crossed 1 Mn views over the weekend, the startup said. 

The teaser showcases Ultimate Squad, a game mode that will allow users to assemble teams from a roster of more than 700 officially licensed cricketers from across the world.

Former Indian cricketer and television personality Navjot Singh Sidhu will feature as one of the game’s official commentators. LightFury plans to bring more commentary voices to the game.

eCricket will offer competitive gameplay, cricket physics, high-quality visuals, licensed players, and social and multiplayer features, according to the startup.

“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,” said LightFury cofounder and CEO Karan Shroff.

Founded in 2024 by former Unacademy CMO Shroff, Anurag Banerjee, and Tina Balachandran, LightFury is an AAA-focused game-tech studio. Its leadership team has collectively worked on more than 40 AAA titles. 

AAA games generally refer to high-budget titles developed with sizeable investments in technology, graphics, production, and marketing. Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us are among the prominent examples of such titles. 

In April, LightFury raised $11 Mn in a pre-Series A round from Blume Ventures, V3 Ventures, MIXI, and Times Internet. The round also saw participation from Dhoni, Bumrah, Pandya, Iyer, Jadeja, Varma, and Sudharsan.

The startup said at the time that it would deploy the capital to develop eCricket and strengthen its live operations, infrastructure, and content pipeline to support post-launch growth and player engagement.

Prior to that, the startup raised $8.5 Mn in a seed round led by Blume Ventures in 2024. It currently employs more than 120 developers and other industry professionals. 

LightFury is building the game for a global audience as it seeks to tap an estimated 2.5 Bn cricket enthusiasts worldwide. 

Sharma’s investment in LightFury is his second disclosed investment in an Indian startup this year. In June, Pune-based fitness startup Fittr brought him on board as an investor and equity partner, building on his previous association with the brand as an ambassador. 

The development comes at a time when India’s gaming market is expanding beyond battle royale and casual games, with growing interest in a wider range of mobile, PC, and console titles.

India had around 511 Mn gamers in 2025, while the country’s gaming revenue rose 14.8% YoY to cross the $1 Bn mark for the first time, reaching $1.04 Bn, according to Niko Partners.

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