Cricket is one of the most followed and popular sports in India. People across all age groups have been ardently following Cricket for decades. When the British introduced Cricket in India in the 18th century, it was a new phenomenon for the Indian people. However, the popularity of the sport began to grow through the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1971, when India defeated West Indies in the Test series, cricket further grew in India. India’s 1983 World Cup triumph became the turning point of the sport in the country, where more and more people began to follow cricket passionately. Several decades later, the popularity of cricket has continued to flourish, with people across generations have been ardently following the sport.
Indians have always been ardent about sports and Cricket is considered a religion in India. Oftentimes, it is considered an ‘Unofficial’ National Sport of India. As of April 2022, it has been estimated that 124 million people follow cricket, which represents 91% of the total sports fans in India. This itself says how much popular is Cricket in India. Due to the rising popularity and growth of cricket over the last several decades, the sport has made its way into the segment of Fantasy gaming. Fantasy Cricket has become one of the most popular gaming platforms among cricket fans. It is a phenomenon that came into existence over a decade ago, but it became popular in the last few months. During the 2020 Lockdown Period, Fantasy Cricket witnessed an enormous rise in the number of users playing the game. Since then, the numbers have been flourishing.
Fantasy Cricket is a platform for every passionate cricket follower to feel realistic by creating a team of 11 years. It is an opportunity for the users to unleash their passion and understanding of the sport on the Fantasy Cricket platform. Furthermore, a player can utilise his/her knowledge of cricket to defeat opponents and win exciting cash rewards on Fantasy Cricket. The main aim of the game is to score more points than the opponents on the basis of the performances of real-life players in the match. Fantasy Cricket has undoubtedly become increasingly popular in recent years, with many websites and apps offering this game.
You might have one question in your mind: Why Fantasy Cricket is popular among cricket fans in India? The one big reason behind the popularity of Fantasy Cricket among fans is the platform provides a virtual experience to cricket fans by forming a team of real players. Users will feel more involved in the match rather than being mere watchers or spectators of the game. Moreover, the users will have control over their team and can make changes in the team according to the latest news and developments. The most important aspect of playing fantasy cricket game is having the correct skills and knowledge. Moreover, one needs to have the ability to pick a player depending on their real-life performances. You need to predict who will perform well and can help you earn more points in a Fantasy Cricket contest.
Another big reason behind the success of Fantasy Cricket among cricket fans is the rising popularity and growth of the T20 leagues around the world. The young generation of cricket fans is hooked to the T20 format as compared to the other two formats of the game. The Indian Premier League became one of the main reasons for the cricket enthusiasts to get onto the Fantasy Cricket platform. The IPL is an extensive and richest cricket league in the world with a phenomenal viewership. Apart from IPL, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Lanka Premier League (LPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Bangla Premier League (BPL) have also become popular and Fantasy Cricket offers the users to play these tournaments on the platform.
Apart from the rising popularity of T20 leagues, the affordability of smartphones and high-speed internet has attributed to the success of Fantasy Cricket in India. Cricket fans in rural areas participate in the Fantasy Cricket contest or leagues as they could afford a mobile phone. The popularity of Fantasy Cricket has increased by 50% to 70% every year. It has been estimated that there are over 100 Crore users of Fantasy Cricket. Out of all the fantasy sports, cricket has gained the maximum popularity and has the largest fanbase in India.
Fantasy Cricket has grown tremendously and reached unprecedented heights over the last few years. Back in 2010, there were only 10 operators for Fantasy Sports, but in 2022, the numbers augmented to over 200. Considering the upward trends in recent years, Fantasy Sports indeed has a bright future ahead. One will definitely witness the further rise of Fantasy Cricket in the coming years.
