India is a country filled with fans of sports. Passions run high during most major sporting competitions in the country. Thanks to the lax laws on online sports betting, India is also a haven for punters, which, naturally, raises the expectations and excitement for the various sports that draw in a huge crowd of punters.
While India is home to fans of various sporting events, there are still some sports that stand atop the rest, as the most popular ones in the country. In this article, we are taking a look at the most popular sports in the country of India.
Football
The first sport we are taking a look at is football. First created in the mid-1800s, association football is the most popular sport in the world today, drawing in a crowd of over 3 billion fans around the globe. It is the most popular sport in most countries in the world, however, the same can’t be said for India. But, while it may not be the most popular sport in India, it is still hugely popular, drawing in massive crowds of fans and punters alike. Indian children also play the sport from a very young age, and the Indian Super League is one of the biggest football leagues in Asia.
Various betting sites keep a close tab on the ISL live scores, and follow the various matches played in the league closely, keeping a close tab on each player and club. Eleven teams compete in the Indian Super League, the most successful of which is the former club, ATK, which has won 3 titles over the eight years that the league has been played. In the 2021/22 season, however, the club that won the championship was Hyderabad. It was the club’s first title, and put the team on the map, as one of India’s better football clubs.
But, if football is not the most popular sport in India, then what is? Let’s find out.
Cricket
It will not shock anyone to learn, that the favorite sport of most Indians is cricket. The sport was first created in the 1500s, in England, from where it was brought over to India, almost 300 years later. In the mid-19th century, cricket was introduced to India by various English visitors, who were either visiting the English colonies, or were outright moving there. Since then, the Indians began embracing the sport, and soon fell in love. Today, cricket is played, watched, and practiced in India from a very young age, and the Indian national team is one of the most successful in the world.
If one were to take a look at the various cricket competitions, one could see that India’s team is consistently ranked in the top 5. According to the ICC, India is the absolute, best team in T20 International Cricket, 2nd in Test Cricket, and fourth in ODI Cricket.
Badminton
While the popularity of cricket will not shock anyone, many might be surprised to learn that badminton is huge in the country. One of the biggest sports events in India, is the Badminton Premier League, the inaugural season of which was played six years ago, in 2016. The governing body of badminton in the country is the Badminton Association of India, which is also the organization that administers the PBL. Thus far, five seasons of the PBL have been played, the last two of which were won by the Bengaluru Raptors, making them the most successful team in the history of the league, with two titles under their belts.