One Year of ‘The Game of Choices: Khaayega Ya Lagayega?’: Cricket, Choices, and a Cult Following

[New Delhi, Delhi] [22 May 2025] – Anish’s debut novel The Game of Choices completes its first anniversary today. One year ago, Anish introduced readers to The Game of Choices, a compelling thriller that has since captivated audiences across India. Now, as the book marks its one-year anniversary, both author and readers have much to celebrate.

Since its release on 20 May 2024, The Game Of Choices has got love from its readers and made an impact with its captivating storytelling. The book was introduced as part of a storytelling experiment that included a companion music album and a web series released on the author’s YouTube channel. These additional elements, while modest in production, served to enhance the context and emotional tone of the story.

“I wrote The Game of Choices to convey the core philosophy of how our choices are influenced by our emotions. And what better way to illustrate this than through a story centered around our shared love for cricket, set during the iconic period when India won the World Cups in 2007 and 2011? My goal was not only to entertain readers but also to leave them with a thought-provoking question about how they want to make choices in their own lives. I wanted to take readers on a meaningful journey and the response has been overwhelming,” says Anish. “I’m so grateful to every reader who has taken this journey with me.”

Set during the period between the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 Cricket World Cup, the novel draws on the country’s collective nostalgia for that era. It follows the path of a young man who becomes involved in cricket betting—a shadow economy estimated to involve more than a lakh operator in India—and is gradually exposed to its inner workings. As the protagonist navigates one moral fork after another, the narrative poses deeper questions about choice, trust, and consequence.

To commemorate the one-year mark, Anish has announced that work is underway on a feature film, the poster of his latest short film which he had started working on after the book’s release. The Game of Choices laid the foundation for his artistic journey and people loved his entertaining, insightful & thought-provoking storytelling. He’s building a repository of such stories for people to consume.

The Game of Choices is available in Paperback & Ebook format at major retailers like OmBook Shop and platforms like Amazon.

( https://www.amazon.in/Game-Choices-Khaayega-Lagayega-Paperback/dp/9334022256/ )

Follow Anish on https://www.youtube.com/@iAnishKumar for updates and special anniversary content.

About the Author

Anish is an alumnus of FMS Delhi and IIIT Delhi. He hails from Chandigarh, Punjab but completed his education in Delhi and spent his entire childhood in Delhi. He had worked with leading tech giants as a business professional and currently working with India’s Largest Media Conglomerate. He has been active in the professional theatre circle since his college days. He has performed at Prithvi Theatre, NCPA, Mandi House, SRPA, Akshara, LTG Auditorium, and many more places. His love for stage and portraying complex characters motivated him to write character sketches which led to a story and his first book: The Game of Choices. Currently, he is working on his anthology web series, The Social Media Drug, available on his youtube channel.