This 1983 cricket World Cup star just turned brand advisor for India’s latest fantasy gaming startup

• Newly launched startup Apne11 has roped in Kapil Dev to be its brand advisor.
• The Indian fantasy gaming market is a hot one right now with the ICC Cricket World Cup going on.
• Startups like Dream11 and Mobile Premier League have already become established names in the sector.

As the fantasy gaming industry in India grows along with the World Cup fever, more and more startups are entering the industry. A newly launched startup Apne11 has roped in former Indian skipper Kapil Dev to be its ‘brand advisor’.

“I am thrilled to be associated with Apne11 as it will present an open opportunity for millions to compete against one another and have the chance to connect with sports on an even deeper level than before,” said Dev.

Apne11 follows the same mantra as most fantasy gaming startups – users get to choose their own team on the platform from amongst the players on the actual field and be awarded points in accordance with the performance of the selected team combination.

Growing market

The Indian fantasy gaming market is projected to touch $5 billion in the next two years, according to Roland Landers, CEO, All India Gaming Federation.

However, this sector already has the presence of the likes of Dream11, which has over 60 million users and is also associated with major cricketing events like the Indian Premier League and the ICC World Cup along with having MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador. Dream11 also became India’s first gaming unicorn in April 2019.

Another player in the same field is Mobile Premier League which got 20 million users within seven months of its launch along with a funding of $35.5 million from Sequoia India. MPL has current Indian skipper Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador.

See Also:
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 viewership so far on Hotstar is far from the IPL peak
As England vs South Africa game kicks off, the World Cup is fuelling Dream11's dream run in 2019
This 7-month old startup has $35.5 million funding from Sequoia and Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador