Waking up to re-runs of cricket matches on television is Atharv Gupta’s most-cherished childhood memory. Twenty years later, he wakes up to notifications on his smartphone, alerting him of his favourite YouTubers uploading content on cricket. He is not the only one. The new-age cricket enthusiasts have adapted to the new brand of consuming the sport. Fantasy gaming, the resurrection of popular cricket matches, and live streaming are the hallmarks of engagement among cricket fans.
What if Virat Kohli would have scored a century in the famed opening match between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022? What if India had won against England in the semi-final of the tournament? All this, and much more, is possible — albeit not in real life — even if it is just to satiate the fan in you.
A marriage between fantasy sports and gaming has birthed the phenomenon of gamification. While there are applications like Dream11 that enable you to create your fantasy team based on real-life matches, the fans-turned-gaming creators are taking it a step further and adding video game-like elements to evoke interest.
Somewhere between watching live matches on television and playing video games, India has found a new virtual playground on YouTube.
Those of a certain age will remember plastering posters of legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Akram with the hope to meet them in person one day. But the new-age fans can access their favourite cricketers at the click of a button on social media. Cricketers like Ravichandran Ashwin have also moved to YouTube. Ashwin sheds light on the behind-the-scenes of the world of cricket and often makes headlines.
“YouTube brings a personal touch and helps connect with the fans in a more organic manner. The love for the sport has been consistent across generations, but the love language has mutated,” says former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra, who has gained recognition as an analyst and commentator post-retirement.
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Gamification of cricket
The year was 2015. 14-year-old Rahul Khubchandani, much like most children in India, lived and breathed cricket. But before he could manifest his dream of playing cricket, his health played the spoilsport. Watching live matches or listening to the commentary at his Ahmedabad residence did little for the fan in him. Fantasy gaming and e-sports provided a new lease of life to Khubchandani.
Now at 22, the B. Com graduate has a thriving community of 2,11,000 subscribers with over 71 million views.
“I knew I couldn’t play again physically due to my health but I couldn’t give up on my passion,” Khubchandani says.
In a video, with over one lakh views, Khubchandani recreated the T20 World Cup 2022 final match between India and Pakistan. He did it with the help of Cricket 22, an Australian cricket video game that offers Ashes, The Big Bash, The Hundred, and a multitude of other popular tournaments.
As Khubchandani plays and live-streams the match, coupled with running commentary, he ensures his viewers that he has chosen the most difficult level to bowl against the Pakistan squad. Players can alternate the bowling quality or run rate while playing the game, depending on which side they are playing for. While many views express their love for Khubchandani’s videos in the comments, one lists out other prominent tournaments he would like to be recreated: IPL and Ashes.
In another video, Khubchandani created a fictional contest between India and England in T20 World Cup, while playing the video game Cricket 19, a prequel to Cricket 22. As the almost life-like Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma enter to start the innings after England won the toss, 4,93,000 viewers join in to watch the match. Khubchandani continues with his commentary peppered with light comedy during the match.
At first glance, it is easy to confuse these matches with gaming, to which Khubchandani agrees and disagrees. “While these are fantasy games, which you see on YouTube, I also participate in esports, which is a form of gaming but on a competitive level,” he says. He was one of the five players in the Flash Cup India open Ps4 Tournament 2022.
What began with a love for cricket and video games has blended into full-fledged career as a YouTuber for him. Most of the expenditure spent on making videos comes through donations by fans and viewers.
But from here, what next? Khubchandani has not planned ahead. For now, he is “happy and thriving.”
26-year-old Pahul Walia, who joined YouTube nine years ago, wants to advance from fantasy gaming to more analytical content on cricket, coupled with a tinge of entertainment. “From a marketing executive to now, a full-time YouTuber, I want to expand my horizon and offer more than gaming videos to my subscribers,” says the Delhi-based content creator, who has 2,81,000 subscribers with more than 56 million views.
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Evolving fandom
Much like Atharv, 15-year-old Nitin Manchanda watches an average of 8-10 cricket gaming videos every day. With the screen time quadrupled from the pre-Covid times, it is hard for Nitin to let go of his new-found hobby.
“Why do I have to go out when I can play everything at home,” the teenager says. His father, Ashok Manchanda, a Delhi-based real estate developer, does not advocate his younger son’s means of sports consumption but he has little say in the matter. “He has been brought up in an era wherein technology is engrained in his DNA. He eats, breathes, and sleeps with it,” the father says.
An avid cricket fan himself, Ashok has recently taken to fantasy cricket. “While nothing can substitute the sheer magic of sitting among thousands of fans in a stadium and cheering for your team or even watching the real-life match, there is something unique and fun about creating your own team as well,” according to the 60-year-old.
Metaverse of cricket
The gamification of sports is not a new invention. But the trend is picking pace among Indian cricket enthusiasts with custodians of the tech generations — primarily Gen Z and Gen Alpha — leading the pack.
Spread between the age of 13-29, new-age cricket fans—are the primary consumers of gaming creators’ content. As technology has advanced and artificial intelligence is slipping through the cracks into our day-to-day lives, fans are looking for shorter, innovative, and different modes to relish their favourite sports.
Seeing the evolving taste and interest among the fans, Khubchandani would soon be launching a series called ‘What If’ on his platform, replaying iconic cricket moments with a twist. But before the mind wanders, he is quick to clarify that he is not a Marvel fan.
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Anshum Bhambri, the co-founder, and CEO of Faze Technologies will be rolling out new cricket-based collectibles and a gaming platform, made on blockchain technology and featuring non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
What he describes as a ‘metaverse’ would help recreate the real-life experience of cricket and other sports in the digital world.
As opposed to television, which is a broadcast and one-way medium, according to cricket presenter and commentator Jatin Sapru, YouTube is a two-way interactive medium. And, both mediums have a loyal fan base who have a refined and unique palette.
Recalling one such interaction with fans of different age groups, Sapru says the challenge is to find the balance. “A young cricket fan, aged 17, walked up to me recently and enquired why we make an uber-serious cricket programme. Minutes later, an older gentleman asked me if I could tone down the entertainment quotient of the show. YouTube helps me cater to both,” he says.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)