Mumbai: Celebrating the thrill and spectacle of the ongoing T20 World Cup, News18.com has brought back one of India’s most cherished classroom pastimes – Book Cricket – reimagined for the digital age.
At a time when cricket fever grips fans across the globe, News18 taps into collective nostalgia by transforming the iconic school-time game into an interactive digital experience. Once played with textbooks and notebooks during recess of off-periods, Book Cricket now lives on smartphones – offering audiences a seamless blend of memory and modern gameplay.
The newly launched game is currently available in English, Hindi, and Telugu, with plans underway to roll it out across all languages in which News18 operates.
Book Cricket marks the latest addition to News18’s rapidly expanding gaming portfolio. Conceptualised and developed entirely in-house, the platform now features more than 20 engaging titles designed to captivate audiences and deepen user interaction across web and app.
“Gaming is a key pillar of our engagement strategy,” said Mitul Sangani, CEO, News18 Digital. “At News18, we uniquely combine our newsroom agility with immersive gaming experiences. By blending credible content with interactive formats, we are creating meaningful engagement in an era defined by shrinking attention spans and evolving consumption habits.”
News18 has also established a strong foothold in event-based gaming, consistently innovating around major national moments. During the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, News18.com introduced ‘Kursi Catcher’ and ‘Result Rewind’, two interactive games that drew significant user participation.
Festive-themed games such as ‘Durga’s Astras’ during Durga Puja and ‘Mouse Modak’ for Ganesh Chaturthi further demonstrate the network’s ability to merge cultural relevance with digital entertainment.
The growing popularity of News18 Games has also driven expansion beyond its primary platform. Select titles are now available on CNBC-TV18.com and on Firstpost.com.
The Book Cricket game can be accessed at: https://www.news18.com/games/book-cricket/
With this latest launch, News18 continues to redefine digital engagement – bridging nostalgia and innovation, and turning moments of national excitement into interactive experiences for millions.
