Cricket is often considered the most elegant sport globally, and for good reasons. There’s no rush (unless it’s a T20 match), no intense fouls, and the sport is packed with great individuals. In India, cricket is not only a sport. Rather, it’s an emotion for the masses.
Cricket also happens to be a perfect game for sports betting. It has room for plenty of markets, and all of them offer great odds to the punters. If you visit the top cricket bookies worldwide, you’re bound to be amazed by the list of markets!
Our focus today is not cricket betting, though. Instead, it’s the ranking of India’s best cricket players. But the purpose is betting. We’re going to start with the sport’s history, followed by its popularity in India.
History of Cricket as a Sport
Before you start betting at the top cricket bookies and hopefully start making profits, we believe you should know a little about where it came from.
At this point, pretty much everyone knows that the English invented cricket. But if we go a little deep into it, we can go back to 1611, when the term “cricket” made it to a dictionary.
During the mid-17th century, it picked up pace in the villages and played in teams, sorted by the English counties. The first match to feature these countries took place in the first decade of the 18th century.
Over the next hundred years, the game of cricket spread all over England and North America. It was the English colonies who introduced the game to the world.
And in India, the British East India company mariners were brought. If you want a visualization of the initial days of cricket in the country, we highly recommend watching the film Lagaan by Ashutosh Gowariker.
Why Is Cricket So Popular in India?
The Indians don’t only watch cricket, they consume it. Primarily, the rich colonial history of sport in the country made it an intense sensation. The popularity spread like wildfire after the 1983 world cup wins through the hands of captain Kapil Dev.
From there on, names like Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and plenty of others became household names. The Indian audience never seems to miss a single match because they’re so in love with their national team.
And if you’re aware of cricket, there’s no way you don’t know about IPL. What started as a domestic league back in 2008 turned out to be the largest league in the world. The players have also valued the love of mass and became one of the most powerful teams in the world.
Cricket will continue to rule the hearts of the Indians. And so, the opportunity for cricket betting will always be there.
The Best Cricket Players in India
In this section, let’s look at the players you should target at the top cricket bookies in India. They’re all concurrent players and have the insane potential for good returns.
- Virat Kohli: This right-handed batsman has been the poster boy of Indian cricket for almost a decade now. Every time he comes to bat, the audience has hope. The same can be said for the punters as well.
- Rohit Sharma: He might not make as much noise as Virat, but there’s no doubt he’s one of the best batters the Indian cricket team has seen. He’s the top-rated Indian batsman in ICC men’s ranking. Even at 35 years of age, he’s dominating the opening position like no tomorrow.
- Jasprit Bumrah: Bowling was India’s weakness for a very long time. But it’s players like Jasprit Bumrah that made that stereotype obsolete. His fire-ridden throws never cease to shake the batsman.
- Ravindra Jadeja: One of the finest all-rounders in India, if not in the world. He often trades places with Shakib Al Hasan from the Bangladesh cricket team, the current best all-rounder.
- Ravichandran Ashwin: The off-spinner who can riddle the batsman better than a leg spinner! He’s one of the highest-paid Indian cricketers.
- Hardik Pandya: Another all-rounder in the team who can suffice on all fronts when needed. You may not get as many markets for him, but don’t miss it when you do.
- Rishabh Pant: The current wicket keeper for the team and a middle-order batsman. He may not be as famous as his peers in betting, but he has excellent potential.
- Mohammed Shami: He may have been on and off from the national team quite a few times, but there are no doubts regarding his abilities to bowl. He can single-handedly destroy the opponent’s batting lineup on a good day.
- Cheteshwar Pujara: Another great prospect for cricket betting in India. He’s a superb batsman and can take care of the entire team on a good day.
- Shikhar Dhawan: He may not be as regular as he used to be, but he’s still an A Grade batsman in the Indian lineup. So, if you find a market for him, place some money on it.
How to Bet on Cricket
Now, that’s a fantastic question you’ve asked there. We can give you all the names in the world as a prospective market, but it won’t matter if you don’t know how to bet on cricket. So, in this section, the betting expert who came up with the ranking will also help you learn about cricket betting in India.
Spoiler alert, it’s a very straightforward process.
- Open an account at any of the top cricket bookies in India. You already have the list. You can also read individual reviews to make the right decision.
- During sign up, enter information according to your Aadhaar card because you must verify your identity and residence for real money withdrawals.
- Once your account is ready, deposit money into your sportsbook account. You should be able to use a plethora of local payment methods like UPI, IMPS, Paytm, etc., along with regular methods like credit cards and e-wallets.
- Pick a tournament for cricket betting in India. There’s always something happening around the country, so finding a match shouldn’t be hard. You can also go for international leagues if the betting sites offer any.
- Once you have the match selected, you should find all the markets. If you look hard enough, you’ll find many unique markets. Common ones like the outright winner, over/under (runs), handicap, etc., should be available across all the top cricket bookies in India.
- After logging in, tap on the market will automatically add to your bet slip. Then, you need to input the amount you want to bet for that selection.
- Remember, putting multiple selections in a single bet returns more for the same stake, but all outcomes must be true. So, betting experts recommend sticking to single choices if you’re new at cricket betting.
- Wait for the bet to settle. If you win, the payout should automatically be added to your bankroll. Real money wagers have no wagering requirements, so you can withdraw them instantly.
Read: IPL: Here are the list of Players who quit captaincy in the middle of a season
