Rooter, one of the leading game streaming and esports platforms in India, is aiming to increase the popularity of cricket-based esports tournaments in the country. The company hopes to replicate the success the sport has seen in the subcontinent nation in the esports sector, which is dominated by battle royale games.

Rooter co-founder Piyush Kumar said that the company is planning to host a cricket-based esports tournament on its streaming platform that will coincide with the fixtures of the Indian cricket team, starting from the ongoing 2022 Asia Cup. He stated that the sport binds the whole country in its traditional formats, and it will be a great achievement for the company to replicate that same experience in the esports arena.

“Cricket is a great sport, which binds the entire country together. If we are able to translate that experience into gaming and esports, we will be able to create an opportunity for the esports sector where people are not just relying on battle royale games,” Rooter co-founder Piyush Kumar told Moneycontrol.

In line with their goal, Rooter is currently hosting the Independence Cricket League which commenced on August 27, 2022 and concludes on September 11, 2022. Notably, the streaming platform has joined hands with Nautilus Mobile’s cricket game Real Cricket for this tournament. It is set to feature 12 teams comprising game-streaming influencers and professional players from across the country. They will be competing for prize money worth Rs 5 lakh.

Kumar revealed that the platform has garnered over eight million aggregate views from the ongoing tournament so far and are expecting it to reach the 15 million mark by the conclusion of the esports-based tournament. There are also plans for future tournaments when India plays the white-ball series against Australia and South Africa later this month. The upcoming T20 World Cup, commencing next month, is also in the sights of the streaming company.

The company expects these tournaments to attract 50 million aggregate views by the end of next year, since cricket is already popular in the country, making it a lucrative proposition for viewers and participants alike. But the major concern for the game streaming platform is the dominance of battle royale games in the esports arena with the popularity of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Garena’s Free Fire, and Activision’s Call of Duty in the country.