Cricket is to India what football is to the rest of the world. The bat and ball game enjoys huge popularity in the country, and much of it is related to betting. The betting industry in India is nothing short of huge, and cricket stands atop of it. That’s partly because of the amazing range of markets to pick from, including the likes of individual bets such as top batsman and bowler.
There’s no sport with more rules than cricket. It can be a bit tough to comprehend at first, but once you place your first bet, there’s no going back. Cricket betting’s different than betting on any other sport, even though it covers all the common markets including the likes of match winners, outrights, and more.
What Is Cricket Betting?
Cricket betting allows you to bet on your favourite cricket matches and players. It’s not entirely different than betting on, say, football, although the game’s unique rules and gameplay put it in a unique position. There are two ways to bet on cricket – fixed and live betting. The latter offers a unique insight into the world of cricket matches, giving you another perspective when watching a match on your devices.
Besides team cricket betting matches, you have plenty of individual markets to look forward to. You don’t need to stick to the regular stuff such as betting on who wins a match. While it’s always a popular market just like outrights, there’s a whole world of bets available with great odds that focus on other aspects such as individual performances.
Below we’ll talk more about the most important cricket betting markets that you should definitely try.
Outrights
Outright betting explodes whenever there’s a cricket World Cup coming, and especially if India is in it. You can put your money on a team most likely to win, such as betting that India will go all the way. The ICC Cricket World Cup is full of exciting matches, widely known as the pinnacle of T20 betting matches. It puts the top 10 cricket players in the world so competition against each other, and you can bet on the team you believe is a contender for the trophy.
Outright odds are usually available months before the event, and the earlier you find them, the higher they’ll be. As the event draws near, the odds may go longer or shorter depending on the team’s performance, so it’s always a good idea to put your money as early as possible.
Match Winner
Match winner is the simplest betting market there is. It’s a simpler variant than the draw no bet option, allowing you to pick the winner of a cricket match. You can choose the home or away team – if the match ends in a draw, your bet is void. The team with the shorter odds is the favourite, while the underdog promises much better profit if you’ve done your research and you think many factors point to a surprise.
Due to the difference in quality sometimes, favourites offer almost no profit at all. In this case, it would be better to take a look at handicaps that level the playing field. While favourites will win in 7 or 8 matches out of 10, you can’t rely on that fact all the time. Surprises happen and underdogs offer better value, so do your research before betting on this market.
Top Batsman
Top batsman is an individual cricket betting market that gets a lot of attention in India. It shouldn’t be a surprise considering that India is home to some of the best batsman cricketers in the world. And has been for a while – from the great Sachin Tendulkar to the enchanting Virat Kohli, Indian players typically dominate this market during major tournaments.
This is where this particular market goes lively. Betting on top batsman means predicting the player with the highest number of runs in a match. It takes a lot of research to actually do some good in this market, especially in terms of form and injuries. Previous records against the same opponent can also help you understand which player is most likely to smash the most runs.
Top Bowler
It’s the exact opposite of the previous market. Available on entire series and tournaments, the top bowler market allows you to pick the player with the most wickets in a match or series. It can also be found under the name of top wicket taker, which is a much more precise description.
This particular market is harder to predict as there are a lot of external factors that affect it. For example, tracks in England and Australia favour medium-fast bowlers and pacers. In India, tracks are more suitable for spinners. Wind speed and direction affect bowlers too. It’s safe to say that it’s a market that favours seasoned cricket bettors a bit more, as it requires more research before you place your bet.
Man of The Match
The MoM category is a newer addition to cricket that follows the examples set by football and basketball. It’s an award given to the best player on the pitch. In most cases, it is awarded to a player from the winning team, although an exceptional effort by a player on the losing team can also be recognized. Since it represents a statistical category, it’s no wonder that you can place your bets on it.
It’s a fun market to bet on, although it requires a lot of understanding of the player’s most recent performances. Batters are much likelier to win a MoM award, although it’s not that uncommon for a bowler to pick it up.
Live Cricket Betting
Instead of talking about a particular market, we can add live cricket betting as a category. It’s a different type of betting compared to pre-match betting types that allows you to bet on the fly, or while a match is in play.
It offers an entirely different perspective, but also understands deep knowledge of the sport and a lot of research. Think fast and watch the game live and you should be able to win big with live cricket bets.
