LightFury Games bags $11 million from Blume, MS Dhoni, others
23 Apr 2026, 05:45 PMThe fresh capital will primarily go towards completing development of its flagship title 'eCricket' and building out live operations infrastructure.
Share the story on
LightFury Games, a Bengaluru-based gaming startup, has raised $11 million in a pre-Series A funding round from Blume Ventures, V3 Ventures, Japanese gaming major MIXI, and Times Internet.
The round also strategic investment from Indian cricketers including MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, it said in a statement.
Other players who invested in the round are Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Tilak Varma, and Sai Sudharsan.
The fresh capital will primarily go towards completing development of its flagship title 'eCricket' and building out live operations infrastructure including content pipelines and post-launch systems designed to sustain a high-quality, continuously evolving player experience.
LightFury Games was founded in 2024 by Karan Shroff, Anurag Banerjee, and Tina Balachandran, a trio of industry veterans whose combined experience spans over 40 AAA game titles.
The studio, now 100 members strong, is building 'eCricket' -- a mobile-first cricket title developed on Unreal Engine 5 that features physics-led gameplay, dynamic AI commentary, broadcast-style presentation, and a licensed roster of over 600 professional cricketers including Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson, Jos Buttler, and Chris Gayle, among others. The game targets a global cricket audience estimated at over 2.5 billion.
"We are building from India for the world, with a very high bar on quality, deep competitive gameplay, and true-to-sport authenticity," said Karan Shroff, co-founder and CEO of LightFury Games.
"We’ve backed LightFury from inception, in their mission to pioneer a new generation of Indian gaming studios, building IPs with global ambition," said Karthik Reddy, co-founder and managing partner, Blume, adding he would like the startup to be the Dhurandhar of Indian gaming history.
India's gaming market is projected to reach $9.89 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of roughly 14.55%, even as the global gaming industry hurtles toward a $400 billion valuation. The cricket gaming segment, in particular, has remained surprisingly underdeveloped relative to the sport's cultural footprint -- a gap that has attracted both capital and strategic interest, the statement noted.
Who Reads Us
“I enjoy reading The Head and Tale for their coverage on the Fintech landscape. The reporting is incisive and honest, and it demonstrates a sharp understanding of the industry and the issues that concern it. I'd like to extend my best wishes to Arti for her continued success.”
“Well-researched, informative and analysis based reporting makes an interesting read. 'The Head and Tale' news portal has been demonstrating this quite well covering fintech and emerging tech sectors. Their timely updates, exclusive stories and different perspectives on these sectors help me stay informed. Kudos to Arti Singh for pursuing her passion and best wishes to the team.”
“The Head and Tale stands out for its deep industry knowledge and impressive network of sources. I especially appreciate that the reporting remains independent, rarely resorting to paid puff pieces, making it a publication I can genuinely trust. Having followed Arti’s work for years, I’ve come to rely on The Head and Tale for its unparalleled insight and truly independent coverage. Arti’s long-standing presence in the sector means her reporting is always informed, with access few can match.”
“What I really appreciate about The Head and Tale is that it doesn’t just report the news, it interprets it. The stories are well-researched, comprehensive, and bold. Arti brings a fearless lens to reporting, often asking the uncomfortable but necessary questions. She makes you pause, reflect, and rethink what it all means for the payments and fintech ecosystem. It’s rare to find journalism that’s this sharp, timely, and relevant to the work we do every day.”
“I’ve always valued journalism that goes beyond surface-level headlines. The Head and Tale does exactly that - it connects the dots, asks the tough questions, and brings clarity to the shifts shaping our evolving industry. I’ve even encouraged my team members to subscribe, because staying informed through credible, deeply reported stories is as important as building products. For me, The Head and Tale has become part of essential reading.”
