India is a country of sports fans. Most people in India have participated in one sport or another, and there is nary an Indian that does not enjoy watching or listening to sports broadcasts. The popularity of sports also leads to the popularity of betting, and online sports betting in India is perfectly legal, with many Indian punters freely engaging in the practice. But the question is, what are the most popular sports in India, whether watched, played or to bet on? In this article, we are going to take a look at a few sports that dominate the Indian scene, and talk about their popularity.
- Cricket
As most of you will know, cricket is the absolutely most popular sport in the country. The Indian Premier League is the most popular sporting event in India, and one of the most popular cricket leagues in the world. This is certainly a huge accomplishment, as cricket is hugely popular the world over, boasting over 2 billion fans across the globe.
The Indian Premier League is a huge draw for Indian punters (and punters from the entire South Asian subcontinent). Ten of India’s best Twenty20 cricket teams compete for the title of India’s champion. The current holders of the IPL title are the Chennai Super Kings, who won the competition in the 2021 season. It was their 4th title, making them one of the most successful clubs in the league. However, the most successful club, by far, are the Mumbai Indians, who have racked up a total of 5 league titles, with their last victory coming in 2020.
The popularity of Bitcoin has seen a steady rise in the world of betting, and India is jumping on the bandwagon. As many Indian punters have long been demanding sports betting sites open their doors to Bitcoin betting, the betting sites have answered the demand. The best Bitcoin betting sites of 2022 can be found on the link, for those of you curious to jump into the world of online cricket betting.
- Football
It is no shock to anyone to find out that football is hugely popular in India. The sport is the biggest game in the world, boasting an audience of over 3 billion. Football is the most popular sport in most countries and continents, especially in places like England, China, Brazil, South Africa, etc. While Indians tend to prefer cricket over football, the sport is still hugely popular. In fact, many Indians begin playing the sport at a very young age, either joining football clubs, or simply playing it with friends for fun.
The most popular Indian Football league is the Indian Super League, the top tier of Indian football. The Indian Super League comprises eleven football clubs. In the 2021/22 season, the top ranking football clubs in the Indian Super League are the Jamshedpur, Hyderabad, the Kerala Blasters, and Mumbai City.
On the international scene, India has not had the same success that it has had in cricket, however, it is still rather successful. Once upon a time, the Indian Football Team was considered the best in Asia. It did fall off after a while, though it has experienced a resurgence in the past decade.
- Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, combat sport in the world, and India has had a long and storied history with the sport. One of the earliest mentions of wrestling that we have, is the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, where the Indian variant on wrestling, malla-yuddha is mentioned. Over the course of India’s history, wrestling has been practiced for sport, self-defense, or for fun. Indian wrestlers have also had pretty good success in international competitions, including the Olympics.
