Mumbai : Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) captain Ravichandran Ashwin and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Dinesh Karthik unveiled a unique cricket memorabilia, launched by UK-based CricFig Private Limited, during a glittering function here on Saturday evening.
First of its kind in the country, these memorabilia are miniature figurines of India’s popular cricket stars and can be proud possession of millions of fans in the country and abroad. CricFig has so far tied up with three Indian Premier League (IPL) teams Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals to be their official licensed figurine partner.
Dineshkumar S, Chief Technical Officer, CricFig Pvt Ltd. said, “It gives us immense pleasure to come on board as the official licensed figurine partner of KKR, KXIP and RR. Sports merchandising is an emerging market in India and we see a huge potential for it to grow in the coming years. The global sports merchandising industry is set to grow by $ 5.9 billion from 2018-2022 and that’s definitely a big positive for us. I would like to thank Dinesh and Ashwin who have joined us to launch the figurines today. I am sure this will be an added asset for millions of cricket fans not only in India but in every corner of the globe.”
Ravichandran Ashwin, skipper, Kings XI Punjab said, “This is a first-of-its-kind. I have grown up collecting action figures of my favorite heroes in movies and comics. Seeing a figure of myself here is almost a dream come true for me. I am truly humbled by this and wish CricFig all the best for the future.”
KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik added: “This is unique, and I am honoured, to say the least. We have grown up collecting miniatures of our heroes and super heroes like Batman, Spiderman and Superman. I never thought that one day I will be part of that (laughs). It will give cricket fans so much more to possess and cherish. I wish, if only I could have collected such memorabilia when I was a child. I am sure I will have quite a few in my room as I am a big fan of some of my current and former colleagues like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. I really want to thank CricFig from the bottom of my heart.”
Venky Mysore (CEO KKR) said: “One of the key reasons we looked up this association with Cricfig is our drive toward creating a better experience and value for our fans. KKR looks forward to fostering a bond between the players and the fans. These figurines complete the experience for our supporters, who can take home the thrill and team spirit.”
KXIP CEO Satish Menon wants to connect with every single fan and guarantee them entertainment throughout the season and thereafter as well.
“That’s why I believe our association with CricFig can bring the team a huge step closer to our fans and I look forward to expanding the realm of cricket entertainment with the team’s official figurine collection,” said Mr Menon.
Ranjit Barthakur, Executive Chairman, Rajasthan Royals said, “We are thrilled to be a part of this fresh take on cricket memorabilia that CricFig has brought to us. It is undoubtedly going to get the players just as excited as their fans! It’s a new season with new ventures and opportunities for the team and we’re excited to extend it to the fans.”
Headquartered in London, CricFig Private Limited have their presence in India and Sri Lanka. They have plans to expand further to Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and South Africa in the near future.
