Cricket Companion was a mobile device application launched in 2006 that provided Live cricket scores and alerts, cricket news, cricket scores, and statistics for all international cricket matches. It also featured a quiz based cricket competition called Cricket Genius competition where users could win prizes based on match predictions for each match.
Cricket Companion 0.92 – The true Retroversion
The original Cricket Companion Retro version was released in 2006 at a time when no other cricket application was available for phones. A time before Android and IOS were born and Nokia phones of varied screen sizes used to run JAVA applications, the application took the edge being the first mover in the space as well as its promise to make it available for every device that could run a JAVA application.
The application could run on dozens of screen sizes thanks to its flexible UI framework.
Features such as alerts for 4 and 6 when watching the match were highly appreciated and the application quickly became a most downloaded application on the JAVA and Symbian based Nokia platforms.
Version 1.0 to 2.0 – The most downloaded app in the World Cup 2007
The application was already a hit in the subcontinent before the 2007 World cup with close to a million downloads. The early exit of India and Pakistan from the 2007 World Cup was a setback for the Version 2.0, which had come of age since the earlier release. Despite that, it was the most downloaded sports application of that era.
Version 2.1 to 3.0 – Multiple variants, IPL and India’s top cricket application
Cricket Companion was rebranded as Crickzenga and launched in India in 2008. It became the official mobile scorecard of the IPL when the league’s inaugural edition was launched and was available to download from IPL T20 WAP site, which was also powered by the firm behind Cricket Companion.
Version 3.0 also had multiple variants that were launched in collaboration with multiple telcos around the world in their branding.
Version 4.0 – Cricket World Cup 2011 and India’s most-watched app
Cricket Companion Version 4 was the first attempt to port the app to Android and IOS apart from Nokia. The Nokia devices were still the most used devices in the world and Cricket Companion was accredited by Nokia as the most downloaded application on the OVI platform.
Cricket Companion had multiple collaborations with Nokia and provided other services and application development for its Ovi platform as well.
Version 5.0 Cricket Companion V
With the downfall of Nokia Cricket Companion lost its market share of cricket apps and its engagement with OVI didn’t allow the team enough time to concentrate on an Android version.
The delay in launching a full Android version and the added financial difficulties post the Nokia downfall led the application crashing out of the market despite a last attempt to release CCV, for which sufficient launch funding could not be secured.
Application Features:
Coverage: All international matches, ICC World Cup , World T20 and other ICC tournaments plus Indian Premier League , Bangladesh Premier League , SriLankan Premier League and Champions League T20 matches
Ball by Ball Commentary
Full Scorecard
Live Alerts
Match and Innings graphs
Players and team statistics
Latest news and blog
Configurable Push Notifications so you can get the alerts of your choice
Country-wise and Series wise Schedules
Reminders for your favorite team’s matches
Cricket Genius Competition with country wise leaderboard
Stadium mode – Discuss the match with Crowd (Public) and Friends (Private) while enjoying ball by ball coverage
Emoticons for each ball to convey your reactions
The Reincarnation story
The original founder started working on the app in a small flat in 2006. Due to theft, he had to re-adjust his plans but found help with a UK based company, Tricastmedia who owned the app 2007 onwards as co-founders.
The app was then taken up by a renowned company in Dubai after Tricastmedia sells off its products and they funded the app till 2016 where curtains were drawn on the product.
The original founder left the company in 2015 for personal reasons but became part of another successful cricket startup in 2017. After learning from the experiences, he decided to relaunch the product as he did in 2006.