The borderline frenzied craze that cricket has among the Indian people is not new. It is certainly awe inspiring that a sport that was invented in England has become something of a religion in a country of over a billion people that once was under the rule of the said country. Cricket in India is nothing like any other sport in the country, leave alone the world. This sport is an iconic and integral part of Indian culture and has the potential to unite an entire country like no other. Even though hockey is India’s national sport, cricket commands the largest fan following.
Volumes have been written about the popularity of cricket in India. If cricket is a religion, then cricketers are nothing short of idols in their own right. These people are not just heroes on the pitch but are glorified and celebrated for the fame and prestige they bring to the sport, both in domestic and international competitions. They are the ones thanks to whom India is known in the world as a cricketing powerhouse.
What makes cricket so popular?
To begin with, cricket is an incredibly simple sport that is very easy to play. Theoretically, all you need is a bat and ball, and you’re good to go. The simplicity of the sport is the reason gully cricket has evolved to become its own style of the game altogether because it can be played just about anywhere, especially in the congested lanes and bylanes of Indian cities.
Cricket is a highly versatile sport, and is enjoyed with as much enthusiasm on the streets as it is enjoyed at a stadium or even just on television or radio. It would not be a far fetched assumption that if you are in India, your social circle comprises a fair number of cricket lovers scattered across various age groups.
The rise of fantasy cricket
The technology boom in recent decades combined with the sharp increase in internet usage across India by people who want to keep themselves up to date with all the latest news, events, analyses and discussions pertaining to cricket has led to the development of a host of websites, apps and even TV channels dedicated entirely to the sport. Cricket fans nowadays are glued to their screens, assimilating every little thing they can about recent matches, player performance, upcoming games, potential lineups and more. As internet services have become increasingly more accessible in the more remote parts of India, more and more people are adopting the new technology.
One of the more noticeable outcomes of this internet penetration is the growing popularity of fantasy sports. Fantasy cricket has seen a very large number of takers in India, who download fantasy cricket app from Google Play Store or the Apple Store and play a virtual version of their favourite game right on their screens. It is estimated that at least 2 out of 3 people in the country are aware of the concept of fantasy sports, and more than 100 million people across India play fantasy cricket.
But what makes fantasy cricket so popular?
In India, fantasy cricket enjoys an immensely high degree of enjoyment, and fantasy cricket players become hugely invested in the game as it gives them a channel to put their knowledge of cricket to the test.
This is due to several reasons. For starters, India has a large population. With such a large audience base for the sport, it only stands to reason that fantasy cricket would attract a similarly large following.
Secondly, a large number of people in India have harboured ambitions of becoming successful cricketers themselves, inspired by the cricketing legends they grew up watching and loving. The dream of playing alongside their favourite cricketers has served to motivate many to pursue a career in the sport. But unfortunately, not everyone can make it to the national team, as the process is highly rigorous and requires tremendous dedication and hard work. Fantasy cricket gives people an attractive chance to feel personally involved in an actual cricket match as this genre of the sport is based on real matches and optimal player selection.
The growth of fantasy cricket has also contributed to casual watchers of the game also interested in this genre of gameplay.
Ever since the launch of the Indian Premier League and the recent increase in the number of T20 tournaments, the total number of cricket matches in the sporting calendar has increased significantly, as international matches are subject to bilateral ties between countries and are limited to specific international tournaments. This has translated into a larger number of available matches on fantasy cricket apps, making the sport all the more thrilling and attractive for fans.
So why should you download a fantasy cricket app?
Fantasy cricket as a style of gameplay allows you to feel like you are part of an actual match, and as a manager of an actual team. You get to create your very own virtual cricket team with real cricketers of your choice, and you earn points on the basis of how they perform on the actual match day.
Fantasy cricket is more immersive than watching cricket. You get to swap players and modify your team as you see fit, and this version of the game gives you the perfect opportunity to put your cricketing knowledge to the test on your mobile device, wherever you may be.
For a large number of Indian cricket fans, fantasy cricket has become more thrilling than watching the sport being played live. This is because users feel a sense of personal involvement when the performance of the players they have chosen is reflected in their leaderboard scores. Moreover, as users themselves decide who will be playing in their virtual teams, it makes them feel that they are part of the actual match. Users get to swap players and modify their team lineup, which gives them a feeling of autonomy and control. On fantasy cricket apps, the captain and vice captain, respectively, earn 2 times and 1.5 times the number of points that regular players earn, and therefore users put in great thought and effort in selecting their captain and vice captain.
In conclusion, fantasy cricket as a form of gaming is only set to grow and thrive in the coming years. Given the abundance of fantasy cricket apps today, with more being released on Google’s Playstore and Apple’s App Store, it is a clear indication that the popularity of this genre of cricket is skyrocketing.
