If not for the lockdown, being at work during the Indian Premier League season would have had its own charm, says Prince Duggal, a Mumbai-based creative director. There was a time when office gossip, a staple during lunch and chai breaks, would suddenly be replaced with serious strategising and planning. "Kaunsa player?" "Kohli ya Dhoni?" "Strong batting order today or bowling attack?" The volley of questions, and endless discussions that followed, would culminate with everyone poring over their phones to create that perfect winning combination—their dream team for the day's IPL match. Sometimes, it even brought a whole lot of money. This obsession for fantasy gaming led Duggal to download Dream11 in 2018. The Indian platform allows users to play fantasy sports—a skill-based game, mistaken for betting, where you can create an imaginary team with real players just before the match begins, and earn cash based on their actual performance in the game.

Last year, Mumbai-based Prince Duggal downloaded the app on two of phones and a tab, so that he could make three different teams for every game that was being played