MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah back LightFury Games in $11 million round; bet big on ‘eCricket’

Bengaluru-based game-tech startup LightFury Games has raised $11 million in a pre-Series A round, drawing strategic backing from Indian cricketers, including MS Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah, as it looks to build a global AAA cricket gaming franchise.

The round also saw participation from investors such as Blume Ventures, V3 Ventures, MIXI and Times Internet, along with cricketers Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Tilak Varma and Sai Sudharsan. 

The funding will be used primarily to complete development of its debut title, eCricket, and build live operations infrastructure to support a continuous gameplay experience.

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“We’ve backed LightFury from inception, in their mission to pioneer a new generation of Indian gaming studios, building IPs with global ambition,” said Karthik Reddy, co-founder and managing partner at Blume Ventures. “Supercharged by natively built AI tools, we are excited for the world to experience eCricket very soon. We would like it to be the Dhurandhar of Indian gaming history.”  

In April 2024, the company raised $8.5 million in seed investment led by Blume Ventures and participation from Japanese mobile entertainment firm Mixi and VC firm Gemba Capital. The round also saw participation from angel investors such as Cred founder Kunal Shah and Unacademy co-founder Gaurav Munjal. 

Cricketers bet on India’s AAA gaming push

The entry of marquee players signals a strong vote of confidence in India’s ability to build a globally competitive sports gaming franchise.

“I’ve seen a lot of cricket games over the years, and there’s always been something missing,” said MS Dhoni. “When LightFury showed me what they were working on, I felt they were trying to close that gap. It’s a big undertaking… I’m here to contribute what I can from my time in the game.” 

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Echoing the focus on realism, Jasprit Bumrah said, “Cricket is a game of fine margins, and that’s what stood out to me about eCricket. The focus on detail and authenticity is impressive.” 

Hardik Pandya added that the game aims to capture the scale of the sport rather than simplify it. “Cricket is pressure, skill, and entertainment all at once… it is not trying to make cricket smaller for gaming. It is trying to make gaming rise to the scale of cricket.” 

LightFury, founded in 2024, is positioning eCricket as a mobile-first AAA title built on Unreal Engine 5, with physics-led gameplay, real-time decision-making and dynamic AI-driven commentary.

CEO Karan Shroff said the ambition goes beyond a single launch. “We are building from India for the world, with a very high bar on quality, deep competitive gameplay, and true-to-sport authenticity… This is much bigger than a game launch. It is about proving that India can build premium gaming IPs for the world.” 

The game will feature a roster of over 600 professional cricketers, including global stars such as Chris Gayle, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, as the company looks to tap into cricket’s estimated 2.5 billion-strong global audience.