Ahead of IPL, Ashneer Grover’s Fantasy Cricket Platform CrickPe Debuts On App Stores

After a year in the spotlight, Ashneer Grover is back in the thick of India’s startup ecosystem with the launch of his fantasy cricket platform CrickPe.

The ex-BharatPe MD took to Instagram to announce the release, sharing links to the Android and iOS versions of the app.

Third Unicorn, launched under Grover’s new venture Third Unicorn, seems to be looking at making the most of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the launch of the app comes a week ahead of the start of the marquee cricket tournament’s latest season.

On the Play Store, the app has seen around 10K downloads and gained a rating of 4.1 from 418 reviews.

CrickPe allows users to create a fantasy cricket team and compete with friends on the app, just as on other fantasy sports apps. Users can also compete in group competitions against other players in a ranked match.

In an effort to boost fan engagement, the app also allows users to compete with real cricketers and their fantasy teams. CrickPe also lets users pay real money to cricketers for their performance on the pitch.

New users can earn INR 50 as a joining bonus upon registration, and they can withdraw their winnings after having won a certain amount. If a user wants to withdraw their winnings, they can do so by going through an e-KYC verification process via DigiLocker.

NetSolutions India Private Limited has developed the CrickPe app, according to its website. Interestingly, NetSolutions also developed apps for BharatMove, the B2B retail tech company founded by Shwetank Jain, brother of Grover’s wife Madhuri Jain Grover. 

The app is unavailable in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim and Telangana as these states have classified fantasy sports as online gambling and have thus banned the apps.

Ashneer Grover and his wife Madhuri established Third Unicorn Pvt Ltd in June last year, while CrickPe was registered with the Registrar of Companies on January 28 this year.

CrickPe would compete with the likes of Dream11, MPL, Games24x7’s my11circle as well as a host of other fantasy sports startups in India. It remains to be seen what the early traction for CrickPe would look like in a highly-competitive space fraught with high marketing spending, legal issues and run-ins with the government.

On the personal side, Grover is facing another lawsuit as BharatPe cofounder Shashvat Nakrani has moved the Delhi High Court against him, looking to get his shares back. This comes as Ashneer and his wife have been sued by BharatPe and Bhavik Koladiya as well.