RIDING THE MOMENTUM OF IPL 2026, Krafton India’s “Real Cricket” mobile gaming franchise has reportedly been showing the “fastest growth” among games developed out of India.
Per data from Sensor Tower, the global cumulative downloads of Real Cricket have reached 76 million (a combined estimate from Apple App Store and Google Play Store). In particular, the game hit a record high in April with 3.5 million downloads in the month.
Real Cricket is a powerhouse title developed and operated for over 10 years by Indian developer Nautilus Mobile, delivering an immersive experience. At the end of last year, Krafton acquired the publishing rights to this game as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in the Indian market. Since then, Krafton has enhanced realism by adding official teams, actual player faces, new stadiums, and uniforms to the game in line with the IPL 2026 season, the Asian Business Daily reports. Real Cricket consistently ranks among the top 3 most downloaded sports games in India and other key international cricket markets.
Sensor Tower stated, “Krafton has continuously encouraged user participation by rolling out new community events and updates, starting with a new season pass in March. The heightened interest in cricket during the IPL 2026 season was effectively channeled into the game.”
As an adjunct to this strategy, Krafton India in February appointed cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal as brand ambassador for Real Cricket. The announcement was accompanied by the release of a campaign film centred on the moments before the first ball of a match.
Krafton positions the Indian market as a core axis for its mid- to long-term growth. Earlier this year, Krafton partnered with Naver and Mirae Asset to establish the “Unicorn Growth Fund” worth up to $660 million, making direct investments in Indian technology companies, Asian Business Daily reports.
According to the publication, Krafton regards Real Cricket as a second IP that is expanding the company’s influence in the sports genre within the Indian gaming market. While BGMI attracted users who enjoy shooter games, Real Cricket is solidifying its position by leveraging cricket. Recently, Krafton has been broadening its base by developing and trial-testing “Cricket All-Stars”, an even more intuitive arcade-style cricket game.
A Krafton representative stated, “Since establishing our Indian subsidiary, we have invested about $250m in India, highlighting its importance as a key market in Krafton’s mid- to long-term management strategy. We are expanding partnerships through investment, acquisition, and publishing support for outstanding local developers like Nautilus Mobile, and striving to create successful cases of expanding into not only the Indian market but also the global market.”
