Cricket gaming app Hitwicket appoints Anand Ramachandran as creative director

Anand Ramachandran has over two decades of experience in game development, interactive entertainment and storytelling

Strategy-based gaming startup Hitwicket has announced the appointment of Anand Ramachandran as its creative director, as the firm looks to strengthen senior management.

Ramachandran will help shape the game design and the product roadmap, the Hyderabad-based gaming studio said in a statement on September 4. He will also be responsible for improving the user journey for both existing and new players and work closely with the team to refine the overall user experience.

"My goal is to push the boundaries of what’s possible in cricket gaming, infuse new creative ideas to gameplay, and ensure that every player, whether a seasoned pro or a newcomer, finds something exciting and engaging" Ramachandran said in a statement.

Ramachandran has over two decades of experience in game development, interactive entertainment and storytelling. This includes roles as creative director for the Disney Byju's Early Learn App, director of design at Hike Messenger and lead designer for Zynga's first India-launched game Hidden Shadows.

He was also the co-founder of Bigfatphoenix Interactive which built interactive research-based games such as Fairside Stories to help kids with social-emotional learning. Ramachandran has also contributed to iconic gaming titles such as Mafia Wars, Hidden Chronicles, and Yoville, the company said.

Founded by Kashyap Reddy and Keerti Singh in 2020, Hitwicket is known for developing the eponymous cricket strategy game.

Hitwicket allows users to play the role of an owner, coach and captain of a team in a multiplayer cricket league. One can build and train a team, play quick matches compete against opponents in one-on-one games or play multiplayer tournaments.

Hitwicket has over 10 million downloads across Google Play Store and Apple App Store. It hopes to achieve 50 million downloads globally over the next two years.

Hitwicket also offers a multiplayer version called Hitwicket Superstars, available for download from its website.

The company secured seed funding of $3 million from Prime Venture Partners in 2022 and recently roped in popular cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle as a strategic investor.

"We believe Anand's addition to our team will propel Hitwicket to new heights, enabling us to innovate not just gameplay but also player engagement and community building," Reddy and Keerti Singh said.