Gaming
Gamerji hits a six with Sportsdraft, adds IPL auction fun to esports play
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.
Gaming
Roblox appoints Sunil Rao as India managing director to drive growth
Former AWS leader to lead creator ecosystem, partnerships and local strategy
MUMBAI: Roblox has appointed Sunil Rao as managing director for India, as the company looks to deepen its footprint in one of its fastest-growing markets.
Rao, who will join in May, will serve as the senior-most representative for Roblox in India, leading local strategy, partnerships and day-to-day operations. His mandate includes strengthening the platform’s presence, supporting the creator ecosystem and aligning India’s market needs with global priorities.
A key focus area will be nurturing India’s growing community of developers and creators, enabling local studios to leverage Roblox’s tools for scaling and monetisation. Globally, the platform’s creator community earned over $1.5 billion in 2025, underlining the economic potential of user-generated content ecosystems.
“Roblox is at the forefront of enabling a new generation of creators and games. India’s scale, creativity, and entrepreneurial energy present a massive opportunity,” said Rao. “I’m excited to build a vibrant and inclusive ecosystem that empowers developers and creators across the country. Ensuring child safety and aligning closely with India’s regulatory framework will be among my top priorities.”
Welcoming the appointment, Roblox vice president international Zhen Fang said India represents a high-potential market for the company. “Sunil brings deep expertise in building operations across diverse markets, and his passion for community-centric platforms makes him the ideal leader to drive our next chapter of growth in the country.”
Rao brings over two decades of experience across technology platforms, venture capital and developer ecosystems. He was previously part of the leadership team at Amazon Web Services, where he led strategy and corporate business development across Asia-Pacific and Japan. He also served as a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, working closely with startups and founders.
Earlier in his career, Rao played a key role in building developer ecosystems at Symbian, Nokia and Google, contributing to the growth of major mobile and internet platforms.
With India’s large youth population and rapidly evolving digital landscape, Roblox’s latest leadership move signals a sharper focus on long-term growth, local relevance and creator-led innovation in the market.
