Every cricket team has fans.
Some have chants.
Some have traditions.
Some have internet legends.
Hyderabad had unwavering support.
But online, it didn't have a voice.
SRH fans were often seen as the league's most reserved supporters. Passionate in the stands,
but quieter than rival fanbases on the internet.
WTX India saw an opportunity.
The problem wasn't fandom.
It was representation.
So instead of creating another social media mascot...
We created Hyderabad's biggest cricket fan.
Dude.
Not an ambassador.
Not an influencer.
Just the unofficial 12th man every Hyderabadi wished they had in the stands.
Challenge
How Do You Build a Fan Icon Instead of a Campaign?
The objective wasn't more engagement.
It wasn't follower growth.
It was to build someone fans could genuinely identify with.
Someone who celebrated every wicket.
Roasted rival teams.
Understood memes before brands did.
Quoted pop culture.
Spoke Hyderabad's language.
And reacted exactly the way every fan wished they could.
The goal wasn't content.
It was culture.
Execution
Year One
Hyderabad Finally Got Its Main Character.
Dude entered the IPL as SRH's unofficial 12th man.
Confident.
Funny.
Slightly cocky.
Completely unapologetic.
Every post was rooted in Hyderabad's personality.
- Cricket banter
- Telugu internet humour
- Pop culture
- Rival trolling
- Instant reactions
Instead of talking to fans...
Dude became one of them.
The content spread rapidly across fan communities, turning every match into a social media
event.
The Internet Started Speaking Dude.
Rather than producing standard match creatives, WTX India built an entire reaction ecosystem.
- GIFs
- Memes
- Celebration moments
- Roasts
- Reaction content
The GIF library exploded on Giphy, generating millions of views and becoming part of everyday
internet conversations.
Many reactions travelled far beyond the cricket community, often outperforming what official
sports pages typically achieved.
People weren't simply watching Dude.
They were using him.
Year Two
When Fans Started Building the Brand Themselves.
The biggest validation didn't come from analytics.
It came from the streets.
Fans started printing unofficial Dude T-shirts, stickers and merchandise without any official
launch.
The character had become bigger than content.
It had become an IP.
Instead of stopping it, WTX India leaned into the movement.
An official merchandise collaboration with Filmy Dice transformed organic fandom into
collectible culture.
Soon, fans proudly wore Dude merchandise inside the stadium.
For many supporters, Dude became just as recognizable as the team itself.
To deepen the emotional connection, WTX India also released a dedicated brand film
celebrating Hyderabad's fan culture through Dude's eyes.
The campaign wasn't selling merchandise.
It was celebrating belonging.
Year Three
When the Internet Made Dude Famous.
By the third IPL season, Dude had become one of Hyderabad cricket's most recognizable
internet personalities.
Celebrities began liking and sharing the content.
Many reached out through direct messages.
Influencers wanted to collaborate.
Dude appeared alongside Jake, another beloved Hyderabad cricket personality, bringing
together two fan favourites in a collaboration that audiences instantly embraced.
Campaign films, influencer collaborations, trend-led storytelling and original hashtags kept
Dude at the centre of Hyderabad's cricket conversations throughout the season.
The community was no longer reacting to campaigns.
It was waiting for Dude's reactions.
Dude Walked Off the Screen.
As the character continued to grow, Dude entered the real world.
He appeared inside stadiums.
Met fans.
Created content with influencers.
Interacted with franchise owners.
Turned match-day experiences into shareable moments.
The line between digital personality and real fan disappeared.
Dude wasn't playing a role anymore.
He had become part of Hyderabad's cricket culture.
From SRH's Biggest Fan to Hyderabad's Biggest Fan.
Dude's journey didn't end with the IPL.
When the inaugural Telangana T20 League was launched, the character naturally evolved
alongside Hyderabad's cricket story.
This time, Dude represented Hyderabad E Champions, carrying the same humour, energy and
community spirit into an entirely new tournament.
Through influencer collaborations, on-ground activations, stadium appearances and fan-first
storytelling, Dude once again became the face of Hyderabad cricket.
As Hyderabad E Champions lifted the inaugural Telangana T20 League trophy, Dude celebrated
alongside the city that had embraced him from day one.
By then, Dude had outgrown a single franchise.
He had become Hyderabad's unofficial cricket ambassador.
Because Dude was never built for one team.
He was built for one city.
