Hitwicket, a strategy-based gaming startup, has announced the appointment of Anand Ramachandran as its new Creative Director. His strategic vision and expertise are set to drive Hitwicket’s global engagement and expand its user base.
Anand, ex-Creative Director at Disney Byju’s Early Learn App, brings with him over two decades of experience in game development, interactive entertainment and storytelling.
With a remarkable career that includes pivotal roles such as Creative Director for Disney Byju’s Early Learn App, Director of Design at Hike Messenger, and Lead Designer for Zynga’s first India-launched game, Hidden Shadows, Anand has consistently pushed the boundaries of game design. His impressive portfolio boasts contributions to iconic titles like Mafia Wars, Hidden Chronicles, and Yoville, showcasing his knack for creating engaging experiences that resonate with millions of gamers.
In the past year, Hitwicket has seen tremendous growth, surpassing 10 million downloads and aims to achieve 5X downloads within the next 2 years.
With Anand onboard, the company aims to further establish itself as a global leader in the gaming industry. Anand will be instrumental in enhancing the user journey for both existing and new players, shaping the game design and product roadmap, and ensuring continual evolution. He will work closely with the team to refine the overall user experience.
Anand Ramachandran expressed his enthusiasm about joining Hitwicket, stating, “I am thrilled to become a part of India’s leading cricket gaming franchise. As a kid, I was always creating cricket games—with dice, playing cards, and pen and paper—but my rough designs and prototypes rarely saw the light of day. Now, with Hitwicket, I get the chance to bring those childhood actions to life. 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. I look forward to working closely with the talented team at Hitwicket along with the founders Keerti Singh and Kashyap Reddy, to explore new avenues of creativity, innovation, and user experience, and to make this game a global phenomenon.”
Co-founders Kashyap Reddy and Keerti Singh shared their thoughts on Anand’s appointment, saying, “We are delighted to welcome Anand to the Hitwicket team. His wealth of experience and creative vision will undoubtedly open new horizons for us in game creativity and design. Having an industry veteran like Anand, who has been instrumental in shaping some of the most engaging and popular games, choose Hitwicket as his next venture gives us the confidence to further solidify our brand’s position in the gaming industry and continue our journey to becoming a global leader in cricket games. 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. Together we are set to explore new creative possibilities and push the boundaries of what a cricket game can achieve.”
Founded in 2020 by Keerti Singh and Kashyap Reddy, Hitwicket is a Hyderabad-based cricket gaming startup aiming to become a global cricket gaming brand from India. Recognized by Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, as the Most Innovative Mobile Cricket Game globally, Hitwicket marked a significant milestone as the first Indian game to achieve such recognition. Featured on the Play Store as one of the Top Home-Grown Startups, Hitwicket successfully secured Seed funding of $3 million.
