New Delhi, April 06, 2022.

With the Indian T20 League now in full swing, Howzat – one of the most trusted and popular names in the fantasy gaming space – has published a series of tongue-in-cheek ads highlighting its strengths and the reasons why it should be the go-to fantasy platform for every serious fantasy cricket player.

Though Howzat is endorsed by big cricket stars like Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan, the ads don't talk about the stars but weave narratives that highlight users' concerns. Rather than talking about which cricketer practiced late into the night or who comes from a humble family background, the Howzat ads talk emphatically about what the Howzat app actually offers, such as free games on joining, bonuses, the ease of withdrawing winnings and newly introduced features like playing just the second innings.

"The ads show how we're different from other fantasy apps," said Bharat Bhatia, VP of Marketing at Junglee Games. "We believe it's very important that ads be about the user and address their pain points and needs. As a fantasy platform with a difference, we know what users look for in a fantasy app and we highlighted how we provide exactly that. This T20 season, we want the users to be able to take an informed choice to have a better cricket fantasy experience."

The tongue-in-cheek ads are spoofs of some hugely popular Indian movies and take on the competitors head-on. They are targeted at India's 13 crore fantasy sports players, the vast majority of which are cricket fans.

Without hammering home any national integration themes, these ads featuring Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh also remind one that fantasy gaming, just like the game of cricket, is a pan-India passion. Interest in fantasy gaming is not restricted to any one region. It is a stroke of genius, therefore, to have characters that are relatable in every part of India. If Bhool Bhool Pandey, the cop who forgets to field his team in the contest before the deadline, represents India's northern heartland, Pooch Pa is a quintessentially South Indian character. Babu Rao, who is desperately trying to get his winnings by calling customer care with his antique rotary phone, has a name that reminds one of western India.