To evolve CREX beyond scores and stats, we launched a full-fledged video experience just before IPL 2025 — blending long-form and short-form cricket content around creators. I led the end-to-end design of this feature, including a modular video section, a custom video player, and an internal content dashboard. The feature crossed 25M views during IPL, with 350K+ daily viewers and strong engagement on match highlights and creator-led shows.
To evolve CREX beyond scores and stats, we launched a full-fledged video experience just before IPL 2025 — blending long-form and short-form cricket content around creators. I led the end-to-end design of this feature, including a modular video section, a custom video player, and an internal content dashboard. The feature crossed 25M views during IPL, with 350K+ daily viewers and strong engagement on match highlights and creator-led shows.
Until early 2025, CREX was primarily known for live scores, in-depth stats, and crisp commentary. It was a platform built for cricket purists — but we knew fans wanted more.
Until early 2025, CREX was primarily known for live scores, in-depth stats, and crisp commentary. It was a platform built for cricket purists — but we knew fans wanted more.
Outside of live matches, cricket lives on Instagram reels, YouTube, memes, and even lifestyle interviews. Users don’t just want match updates — they want to be entertained, informed, and emotionally engaged.
Outside of live matches, cricket lives on Instagram reels, YouTube, memes, and even lifestyle interviews. Users don’t just want match updates — they want to be entertained, informed, and emotionally engaged.
And video is the most natural format for that.
And video is the most natural format for that.
So, just before IPL 2025, we launched a dedicated video experience inside CREX — one that combined short-form, long-form, and creator-driven content in a seamless, scalable format.
So, just before IPL 2025, we launched a dedicated video experience inside CREX — one that combined short-form, long-form, and creator-driven content in a seamless, scalable format.
And I was the solo designer on the entire project.
And I was the solo designer on the entire project.
We needed to design an intuitive and visually engaging section within CREX where users could seamlessly watch both short and long-form videos, stay updated with analysis, interviews, and highlights.
We needed to design an intuitive and visually engaging section within CREX where users could seamlessly watch both short and long-form videos, stay updated with analysis, interviews, and highlights.
While CREX already had short 20–30 second videos, we found:
While CREX already had short 20–30 second videos, we found:
Attention spans were too short for these videos
Attention spans were too short for these videos
Shorts couldn’t support podcasts, interviews, or match highlights
Shorts couldn’t support podcasts, interviews, or match highlights
Users wanted variety, and creators needed freedom
Users wanted variety, and creators needed freedom
We decided to go beyond just shorts — and build a full-fledged video ecosystem in the app.
We decided to go beyond just shorts — and build a full-fledged video ecosystem in the app.
Being a cricket-heavy product and a fan myself, research never stops. Whether it’s watching how fans behave at a cricket ground, in WhatsApp groups, or during gully cricket — we absorb it all.
Being a cricket-heavy product and a fan myself, research never stops. Whether it’s watching how fans behave at a cricket ground, in WhatsApp groups, or during gully cricket — we absorb it all.
CREX WhatsApp Community: We onboarded our power users to a private WhatsApp group via in-app prompts across cohorts. This helped us learn what fans love to talk about — and what breaks the flow.
CREX WhatsApp Community: We onboarded our power users to a private WhatsApp group via in-app prompts across cohorts. This helped us learn what fans love to talk about — and what breaks the flow.
3rd-party Market Study (2024): Helped us map how Indian fans consume cricket and where digital gaps lie.
3rd-party Market Study (2024): Helped us map how Indian fans consume cricket and where digital gaps lie.
Competitive Scan: I analyzed dozens of cricket YouTubers — what they post, how their fans comment, and which videos get traction.
Competitive Scan: I analyzed dozens of cricket YouTubers — what they post, how their fans comment, and which videos get traction.
8/10 fans still prefer watching cricket on TV
8/10 fans still prefer watching cricket on TV
60% of Gen Z consumes cricket on social media
60% of Gen Z consumes cricket on social media
Lifestyle & hot takes > analytical content
Lifestyle & hot takes > analytical content
Each creator builds their own fanbase (e.g., Aakash Chopra, Harsha Bhogle)
Each creator builds their own fanbase (e.g., Aakash Chopra, Harsha Bhogle)
✍️ Designing the Experience
✍️ Designing the Experience
🧠 Step 1: Understand the Content First
🧠 Step 1: Understand the Content First
Before designing anything, I collaborated with our internal content team and newly onboarded creators to understand the types of content we’d be producing — match breakdowns, lifestyle stories, fantasy insights, and more.
Before designing anything, I collaborated with our internal content team and newly onboarded creators to understand the types of content we’d be producing — match breakdowns, lifestyle stories, fantasy insights, and more.
We onboarded 5–6 creators including Aakash Chopra, Vimal Kumar, and other popular voices in cricket.
We onboarded 5–6 creators including Aakash Chopra, Vimal Kumar, and other popular voices in cricket.
We decided to give creators full freedom over their content style. So the design needed to highlight creator identity, not just video format.
We decided to give creators full freedom over their content style. So the design needed to highlight creator identity, not just video format.
🎨 Step 2: Design Around Creators
🎨 Step 2: Design Around Creators
With this in mind, I created a playlist-style structure where each creator had their own “space” — with flexible layouts that could be selected by curators while building playlists from the dashboard. This approach helped us:
With this in mind, I created a playlist-style structure where each creator had their own “space” — with flexible layouts that could be selected by curators while building playlists from the dashboard. This approach helped us:
Highlight creators in a way fans could recognize
Highlight creators in a way fans could recognize
Group their videos into playlist-style layouts
Group their videos into playlist-style layouts
Keep the UI fresh with different layouts (Started with 5 different playlist layouts)
Keep the UI fresh with different layouts (Started with 5 different playlist layouts)
Allow the content team to dynamically control layouts and order from a dashboard
Allow the content team to dynamically control layouts and order from a dashboard
🎥 Step 3: Custom Video Player & CMS Tools
🎥 Step 3: Custom Video Player & CMS Tools
A custom video player with all the interactions, comment funtionality, and adaptive UI
A custom video player with all the interactions, comment funtionality, and adaptive UI
Alongside the user-facing screens, I also designed a custom CMS for internal use — enabling the content team to:
Alongside the user-facing screens, I also designed a custom CMS for internal use — enabling the content team to:
Create & Manage playlists
Create & Manage playlists
Customize content by country and user segment
Customize content by country and user segment
Schedule & send notifications
Schedule & send notifications
Video quality depends on everything — script, camera, edit, voice. Designing the platform was one thing, building shows users love is another.
Video quality depends on everything — script, camera, edit, voice. Designing the platform was one thing, building shows users love is another.
This wasn’t just a design challenge. It required tight collaboration across content, operations, tech, and creators.
This wasn’t just a design challenge. It required tight collaboration across content, operations, tech, and creators.
With the new video experience, we’ve transformed CREX from a cricket score app into a full-fledged media platform. Fans can now binge creator content, watch match highlights, explore lifestyle stories — all without leaving the app.
With the new video experience, we’ve transformed CREX from a cricket score app into a full-fledged media platform. Fans can now binge creator content, watch match highlights, explore lifestyle stories — all without leaving the app.
This project pushed me to think beyond UI — into creator identity, CMS systems, and real-world content ops. And I loved every part of it.
This project pushed me to think beyond UI — into creator identity, CMS systems, and real-world content ops. And I loved every part of it.
And the best part?
We’re just getting started.
And the best part?
We’re just getting started.
