The X-Factor No One Saw Coming: How Dream11 Scored Big with Jitendra Bhatawadekar

It started with a name.
Not Kohli. Not Rohit.
But… Jitendra Bhatawadekar.

When Dream11 dropped its latest campaign, no one expected a fictional, unknown character to steal the spotlight from three of India's biggest icons: Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Rohit Sharma. But that’s exactly what happened—and the internet followed suit.

This ad became a masterclass in brand storytelling, disguised as casual banter.

Set against a relaxed dressing room scene, the spot featured Aamir Khan scrutinizing Ranbir Kapoor's Dream11 team. The energy felt easy. The setup looked simple, but then came the twist.

Ranbir introduced a name no one had heard before: Jitendra Bhatawadekar.
The deadpan delivery. The puzzled expression on Aamir’s face. The perfect pause.
Then, Rohit Sharma, calm as ever, confirmed it was a bluff.

In just under 30 seconds, Dream11 achieved three things:

• It made people laugh.
  
  
• It sparked curiosity.
  
  
• It planted a name in everyone’s mind.
  
  

Jitendra Bhatawadekar became a punchline, a meme, a conversation. Twitter threads popped up. Fantasy league groups debated whether this guy had ever played domestic cricket. Spoiler: he had no cricket history. And that detail fueled the fun.

The campaign proved something crucial: in a world oversaturated with polished endorsements and predictable celebrity appearances, absurdity with purpose creates impact.

Dream11 built more than brand recall. It entertained, misled (in the most clever way), and gave viewers a name to share like an inside joke.

The brilliance lived not just in the script, but in the silence, when the brand stepped back and let the audience spread the story.

This ad felt less like a commercial and more like theatre.

Dream11 introduced a character with no history, no backstory, no cricketing record—and still made him unforgettable. With timing, tone, and the right talent, it crafted a moment that people chose to share.

Jitendra Bhatawadekar may never face a single delivery.
But he just helped Dream11 hit a creative boundary.