Cricket is one of the most popular and widely spread sports on the planet. It is played in all corners of the world, some more than others, and it draws in hundreds of millions of fans. While it may not be as prominent in the Western world where football, basketball, and tennis are the real deal, cricket is a national sport in dozens of countries. It is a very fun and engaging game and those who decide to watch a game or two usually have a lot of positive things to say.
Traditionally, cricket is played the most in the Commonwealth countries, i.e. areas and regions that were in some way connected to the British Empire. After the dissolution of the Empire and the creation of free nations, the relationship between the UK and the newly founded countries remained strong. Therefore, apart from the UK, cricket is now a national sport in India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and many others. It is also a very big betting sport, both in places where it is played and overall, most evident with the appearance of T20 SRL cricket betting.
A Planetary Phenomenon on the Rise
Various national leagues and tournaments exist and their national teams always battle it out on the world stage, which are always some of the best games the sport has to offer. For them, it is like the Copa America, the EURO, or the World Cup for football fans across the world. If you were wondering how popular the sport has become in recent years, how about a return to the Olympics after 128 years?
That is right, finally, cricket is scheduled to return to the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 after its initial appearance in 1900. It is going to be the biggest stage imaginable as the best are already in full preparations to capture the gold and prove their mastery of the intriguing sport. Other countries that are not historically connected to the game might surprise us as well. And who knows? Maybe it will stick around for the Brisbane 2032 Summer Games too!
Cricket Betting
Another reason why cricket is so popular is the sports betting aspect. Like any other popular game, there is a whole industry and a large fan following that enjoys wagering as much as watching the sport. There are plenty of games being played throughout the year and a good thing about it all is that the leagues do not start and finish at the same time in all countries. This gives the bettors ample opportunity to play even when their domestic championship is over.
Still, the fans want more, and fantasy cricket is not something that always satisfies their needs.
When no live games are being played by real players though, the bettors and fans can enjoy their favorite sport thanks to simulated reality leagues, or SRL for short. This has been a revolution in sports and it is only a matter of time before it appears in other popular sports during the long drought of the off-season.
Simulated cricket is a digital/virtual recreation of the real game where the computer with its algorithm and artificial intelligence plays a simulation. Beforehand, a ton of data, more precisely the stats and relevant information from the previous 200 or so games both teams have played are analyzed. Then, the game is made up of those stats and the teams behave based on how they would probably behave in real life. It is the perfect simulation backed up with real data of things that happen on the pitch. And right now, the T20 variation of cricket is where fans are flocking.
T20 SRL is Perfect for Betting
For those among you who may not know, Twenty20 (T20) is a shortened game format of the traditional sport of cricket and still a rather young variety of the game. It was only introduced in 2003. Now, alongside first-class and List A cricket, it is one of three forms that the International Cricket Council recognizes as the highest level. Therefore, the fans and bettors followed suit, which then led to the creation of the T20 simulated reality leagues.
The biggest reason why Twenty20 is gaining so much traction is the length of the game. Cricket used to be played over several days whereas T20 is done under three hours. Teams only get 20 overs, meaning it is dynamic, the stakes are higher, and the players must give it their best continuously. As you can imagine, all of these also benefit the bettors because they can watch and wager on more games. The same goes for SRL during the off-season months.
T20 Bets and Odds
The bets and odds do not stray far away from traditional cricket and are largely the same. Some of the most common, and therefore the safest, include the favorites to win the game and the top batsman for the team. Then there is the total runs bet with the classic over and under options. You can pick the series winner for a multi-match wager. If you really want a high-stakes bet that rarely happens, you can pick the tied match wager, but do not let the verbiage fool you. While ties are incredibly rare, draws are common, and the tie bet is a draw bet.
There are also team proposition bets where you can wager on the coin toss at the start of the match as well as the toss combination, i.e. the decision the player makes after winning the toss. Very specific, we know. First innings score, match score, and the over/under score bets are all quite popular if you know enough about the team(s) and the player(s). Finally, the bettors can opt to wager on the players, like who will be the man of the match, the player of the series, or the overall player performance, whether you expect the player to do above or below the proposed amount. There are plenty of options you can go for, and T20 is great because it allows for multiple games to be covered at once without needing to wait days for your ticket to finish!
