Cricket is still a beloved and recognised sport in many parts of the world. Even though not quite reaching the amount of fan devotion and recognition professed to other sports such as football, basketball or tennis. Dating all the way back to the 16th century, cricket traces its origins to Southeast England. Alongside the expansion of its empire throughout the centuries, the game of cricket followed suit and put down roots in many British colonies worldwide. One country where cricket is regarded as one of the most popular sports nationwide is India. We could even argue cricket is actually the most popular sport in this country. Regardless of governmental and spiritual condemnation, gambling has been an intrinsic part of Indian culture and identity that persists to this day. If you are interested in experiencing how gambling games work In India, you could try out some Indian local betting sites and experience new gambling games and sports you might have never come across. This could help you multiply some spare money, too.
If you might be considering cricket as a potential new sport to learn, understand, appreciate and wage on, this article is tailored-made to your needs, giving you some basic tips that will aid on your newfound journey.
Cricket is a very popular sport with a strong, passionate fan base spread all across the world. More importantly for sports bettors, it can also be a potential new source of entertainment and income. That is if you just take a little time to research what the game is about and how you can make some money off this knowledge.
Firstly, one needs to understand the basic rules of cricket. Learning about which players are currently considered the best or which cricket bets are regarded as the most popular would help. Furthermore, learning about which tournaments, leagues, and competitions are in cricket is essential.
Countries where Cricket is most popular
Even though cricket is embraced passionately by over 2 billion fans, some countries take more interest in cricket than others. To learn about cricket, you must know those countries in which cricket is played the most competitively.
In first place, we have the birthplace of cricket: the United Kingdom. Throughout most of its history, cricket dominated the sports scene in the UK until the presence of football in the 20th century. Regardless, cricket is still hugely popular all over the country, and its national team is ranked second in ODI and T20 cricket.
However, although cricket used to be the most popular sport in the UK, nowadays, that title belongs to India. Many of this generation’s greatest cricket players come from India, and the country is ranked 1st in the world in T20 cricket, 4th in ODI and 2nd in test cricket, only behind Australia.
Speaking of Australia, this is yet another country where cricket is considered a popular and beloved sport. Not only is their national cricket team ranked 1st in test cricket, but they are also ranked 3rd in ODI and 5th in T20 cricket. It would be a disservice to Australian cricket if we did not mention how it produced one of the greatest cricket players of all time: Sir Donald Bradman, nicknamed “The Don’’. His stats in cricket are considered unparalleled even to this day. He is regarded as one of the most iconic athletes in Australia.
Throughout South-East Asia, cricket is by far one of the most popular sports, and its influence reaches and dominates many countries. This is also true in the Indian subcontinent, where, alongside the Republic of India, Pakistan is also a dominant power regarding mastery over cricket. The national Pakistani cricket team has given rise to some of the best cricket athletes, such as Shahid Afridi, Wasim Akram and Babar Azam.
Most Popular Cricket Bets
For those punters who are just starting to learn about cricket and are interested in betting on the game, we have collected a list of the kinds of bets that should aid you in your first steps.
First, find a reputable and trustworthy betting platform that includes cricket in their betting market. Make sure your chosen bookkeeper also contains the top cricket tournaments and leagues. Also, try to find the best bookies that offer the highest betting odds (since your winnings are calculated by multiplying your wager by the odds) and the best kind of bonus prizes for maximum benefits during your betting experience.
To bet successfully on cricket, you must learn the most popular cricket bets, as well as be able to understand them:
- Outright Winner bets: Decide who will be the match-winner, tournament, or series winner.
- Handicaps: The operator levels the match’s outcome by providing an advantage for the underdog.
- Over/Under Markets: Allows the punter to predict the total number of wickets or runs in a particular match. You must choose whether the totals will be over or under a specific number.
- First Ball/First Over Cricket Betting: Predict if the first ball will be a four or a wicket.
- Innings Run: Predict below or above a certain number of runs for the initial batting period.
- Player Bets: Gamble onthe performance of a particular player. You can bet on whether this player will be the top bowler, a man of the match, number of wickets and number of runs performed.
- Team Bets: Rather than betting on a single player, you bet on the whole squad’s performance. Examples of team bets would be: outright winner, series score, a team of a top batsman, series winner and win the toss.
Betting tips and advice
Before finishing, we would like to provide you with a list of tips and advice to guide you on your first wagering on cricket.
1. Bet on the Underdog: Although seemingly counterintuitive, betting on the underdog can lead to solid winnings since the odds are usually stacked against them.
2. Research about teams and players: Before gambling, any punter worth their salt will do their research on various teams and players to prepare before any game.
3. Check the weather and pitch conditions: Weather forecasts and the pitch condition are essential factors to consider since these strongly influence the game’s outcome.
4. Check the game format: The three main cricket formats are Tests, ODIs and T20s. Specific teams or players might be more specialized in certain types. Make sure to research the game’s format and bet accordingly.
5. Gain knowledge of the game: Always research, not just on teams and players but also other factors such as whether a team is playing in their home.
6. Compare different odds: Compare the odds offered by different bookmakers and look for the ones that will help you gain greater benefits.
7. Set a budget: Make sure you set up a budget solely for gambling and stick strictly to it to ensure not to run into financial mishaps.