Cricket betting is one of the most popular sports betting markets in many countries, whose history and culture are bound to England. One such country is India, whose ties and relations to the UK go back in time and whose overall culture carries traces and pieces of the British colonies. Cricket is one of the oldest sports, most arguably invented by young children at the end of the 16th century in South-East England. If you want to explore more about the specific sport, it is rather easy to find information about cricket on the web, as it is so popular.
India’s sports betting industry is one of the biggest in the world. It is estimated that nearly 140 million Indians are regular punters, meaning that almost 10% of the entire population and more than 25% of those who have access to the internet, are frequently betting on their favourite sports. Cricket is one of these sports, gathering nearly 80% of all bets in the country! Quite an impressive percentage! But then again, this should not come as a surprise, given that high profile, grand events such as the Indian Premier League, attract considerably more interest from punters and bets almost double during such games.
Although there is not a crystal clear categorization of gambling as illegal in the regulatory framework and legislative system in India, betting is more or less prohibited, especially in betting agencies and in public spaces. But when it comes to online sports betting, there is no special mention in the relevant law and as such the internet has become the absolute betting ‘avenue’ for betting fans. More on this, there are some policies in the associated legislation, which permit betting on games that involve “mere skill”, which means that betting on cricket does not go against any law (since cricket involves the use of skills on the part of players)!
Indians are generally obsessed with cricket both as a sport and as a game available for wagering. For Indian bettors, therefore, cricket not only offers multiple events and options for betting, but it also provides pleasure, excitement and joy! The most popular cricket betting markets in India include:
Match Winner
This bet has to do with the team that will win the cricket match. It is among the most popular cricket bets in India for two main reasons: first, it is straight-forward, which means that it simply requires punters to predict which squad will win and second, it does not require special betting skills and extensive betting experience from punters.
Outright Winner
In outright betting, punters are called to make predictions about the final winning team of an entire tournament or competition. It is also very popular in India, especially in matches and games held during the IPL- Indian Premier League, despite the fact that it is more demanding in terms of having to do a little work before deciding on the wagers. Punters need to read, collect information and keep a close eye on the different matches to make more accurate predictions.
Toss Winner
This bet is 100% based on luck as it involves wagering on the team that will win the toss some 30 minutes before the match begins! Many punters choose to chase after their luck in selecting this type bet, while others believe the toss winner to be a crucial factor that affects the entire game.
Top Batsman
Betting on the player that will prove the highest run-scorer is a highly preferred type of cricket bets among Indians. Here, the bettors try to predict who will score the most runs in the game, something that certainly isn’t easy, but let’s admit it, it is very interesting!
Man of the Match
The man of the match is the award title that goes to the player that has contributed the most to his team, whether this team has eventually won the match or not. Of course, the man of the match can be anyone from the bowler and batsman to the wicket-keeper. Betting on the Man of the Match, thus, requires punters to predict who will be the most valuable player in a given game.
