MUMBAI: Ever dreamed of owning an IPL team, only to realise your wallet's emptier than a stadium during a rain delay? Good news—Gamerji just bowled an irresistible googly your way. Forget bidding goodbye to your savings; now, you can outbid your mates for Kohli or Rohit—all without spending real cash!
Ahmedabad-based esports juggernaut Gamerji has announced the launch of Sportsdraft, its first in-house, non-fantasy, non-RMG cricket gameplay. Set to officially go live next week, Sportsdraft mimics IPL-style player auctions, letting users virtually bid on their favourite players to build winning squads. With 16.7 million users in India and the middle east, Gamerji clearly knows how to spin a good game—and this might just be their best delivery yet.
Sportsdraft introduces cricket lovers to a fresh style of digital gaming. Participants join leagues through Gamerji’s app or website, strategically bid on players with virtual currency, and assemble dream teams to compete for glory (and Gamerji diamonds). Miss the timer by a whisker? Say goodbye to your star batsman, swiftly auctioned to your cleverer competitor.
Gamerji founder & CEO Soham Thacker shared his excitement, saying, “With India’s unbeatable run in the ongoing Champions Trophy and world’s biggest league IPL starting in just a few weeks, the cricket fever is on. Our users and telecom customers' feedback encouraged us to develop Sportsdraft. It is a non RMG gameplay designed to engage players in building their squads using points earned on the Gamerji platform. The official game launch is scheduled for next week but traction from the beta launch has already shown 35 per cent of Gamerji users playing Sportsdraft, we expect this to double as we reach IPL season commencement.”
He further clarified, “The gameplay itself is not the conventional fantasy model. It is a season-long experience that involves drafting players and getting the thrill of owning a team rather than just selecting players randomly, putting your squad in, and staking. This is about actually experiencing the excitement of team ownership because you get exclusive rights to those players. No one else has those players when you play in your league."
Participants can also pick their ‘Power Player’ to double points and challenge friends in thrilling daily head-to-head battles. Victors earn Gamerji diamonds, redeemable for gift vouchers—because who doesn't like winning free stuff?
Founded by serial entrepreneur Soham Thacker in 2019, Gamerji already hosts 1,400 tournaments daily, aiming to boost its user base from 16.7 million to 30 million within the next year. Considering India's esports market hit $200.7 million in 2024, projected to soar to $919 million by 2033 with an impressive CAGR of 18.42 per cent, Gamerji is playing the long innings smartly.
Is virtual cricket auction the future? Perhaps. For now, Gamerji’s Sportsdraft sounds like the perfect game to bring friends together—and then tear friendships apart over outbidding each other for Dhoni.
