Cricket is one of the most popular sports in India, it has completely taken the country by its feet ever since the World Cup of 1983 and it continues to do so. The British introduced the game in various colonies of it and it has grown like wildfire since. The history of cricket dates back to the 16th century in Great Britain. Cricket has since become quite popular across the world. In a hot-blooded and passionate game such as this, where tensions run high and no one can predict who can win, betting on cricket is a risky business that can either make you a fortune or cost you one.
No match can be accurately predicted, there’s only so much that you can do with predictions and even if you follow all steps correctly then you can still lose. So, here are some tips for you to follow if you’re betting on cricket.
- Find the right bookmaker: The very first step that you should do is to find suitable bookmakers who is experienced and has a valid license. Without, a bookmaker with an appropriate license, you could get into serious trouble.
- Know the format: It is important to know which format you’re betting on since every format is different and needs to be approached differently. Some players perform better in a specific format, for example, Cheteshwar Pujara who excels in test cricket but isn’t the best in One Day International or T-20.
- Bet on popular leagues: It is important to know which leagues are popular as the more well-known the league is, the more the chances of people betting. Some of the most notable leagues in the world are:
- IPL – The Indian Premier League has attracted many players from around the world and only the elite compete. One of the most-watched cricket leagues in the world, it truly has come a long way from its first edition to one of the most awaited leagues.
- World Cup – One of the most prestigious titles in cricket, only the best teams of countries compete here. This 50-over format has wrapped the cricket world around its fingers.
- T-20 Cup – With the entry of the latest format of cricket, the T-20 in which each team plays an innings of twenty overs each. It has become the shortest format of the game and has quickly risen in popularity over recent years.4. Follow famous tipsters and their expert predictions: The best way to predict a match if you are a mere beginner is to follow the experts, the ones who have spent years in the industry. The experts are not always right but they know what to expect and most of their predictions are right. Every beginner should take notes from the expert if they want to play the long game and want to keep learning and refining this craft to the maximum extent possible.
5. Bet on the dark horse: One of the best ways to make money from betting on cricket is to bet on the underdog or the longshot. Even though it may seem counterintuitive, it is one of the most profitable ways to make a lot of money since no one expects them to win. For example, one of the most recent examples could be the Netherlands defeating South Africa in the men’s T-20 World Cup, no one expected it and it sent South Africa crashing out of the league. Also, an example that hits close to home would be India crashing out of the 2007 World Cup after being defeated by the underdogs, Bangladesh. There is no guarantee of victory for any team and this is what makes cricket so interesting and fun to watch and bet on.
6. Always check the reports before the match: Factors such as pitch reports or the weather conditions may not be the best thing to help anyone in predicting the outcome of the match but it sure plays an important role. The condition of the pitch can change the entire outcome of the match and it has happened several times that a weaker team has defeated a stronger one with the help of the advantage of the pitch. Factors such as toss can also affect the final result of the match. People usually look to a newspaper on the day of the match, experts, the pitch report just before the match, or the commentators.
7. Watch out for the players who are in or out of form: No player can always remain consistent with their plays be it even Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara. The most recent example is Virat Kohli, even though he’s a world-class player whose skills are head and shoulders above even the top players in the world. Also, even players who aren’t well known but have been firing recently should be your choice since they are the real dark horses and could turn out to be amazing after all.
8. Look out for player injuries: There are times when important players are unable to play due to past injuries during matches or practice. These cannot be avoided as cricket is a sport where players are always at risk of injury. Betting everything you have on a player who might not play or play when they are not at their best isn’t the best thing you can do in cricket. Injuries and current health conditions of players are important, for example, Shaheen Afridi not playing against India meant that Pakistan wasn’t at its best and Shane Watson playing with stitches during an IPL final against Mumbai Indians resulted in a loss since he wasn’t at his very best.
9. Set a limit for your betting: When anyone is betting, it is a gamble and it is quite addicting so it’s best to keep a budget early on since addiction could result in something that could hurt you financially. There is no shortage of stories of people who lost all their life savings on mindless gambling. So it is probably best to keep a limit on the amount of money that you are going to spend or invest in betting.
Conclusion: Betting is not everyone’s cup of tea and even if you’re a seasoned better, you cannot be guaranteed to win every single time so it is best to maximize your chances of winning by following the above tips. Again, an addiction to anything isn’t good and it holds for betting on cricket too so it’s best to set a limit every time you do. Good luck!
