Cricket is unofficially a national sport of India. So, it is not surprising how the game’s popularity is shaping up in the virtual world. Due to the advancement of sophisticated technology and the exponential growth of using smartphones in India, the online gaming industry is growing at a rapid pace. And cricket is the most engaged sport on fantasy platforms according to a survey by KPMG.
The luxury of time that people got during the covid-induced lockdowns helped increase the popularity of fantasy cricket in India. The concept of fantasy games is so simple. As a user, you need to create an account on any fantasy platform, pick your sport, and build a team of real sports stars who would be playing in the upcoming matches. You get points based on the on-field performances of the chosen players. So, it is a test of your cricketing knowledge and decision-making skills and win some exciting rewards while having fun.
After realizing the significant growth of fantasy sports in India, many companies have built fantasy gaming platforms. As regular cricket has already created a broad-based sporting culture in the country, it transforms into a higher user base for fantasy cricket. So, let us look at the latest trends which are making the game more interesting and expanding its fantasy market:
1. It Became a Tradition to Play Gaming Daily
For gaming companies, IPL fantasy league is one of the best mediums to engage audiences in novel ways. From just 10 fantasy sports companies in 2016 to over 150 operators now, the overall picture has completely changed, and it is a tradition in India to play gaming almost daily. As the number of regular players increased, the freebies, coupons, cash prizes, and other stuff have also raised significantly.
2. New Registrations Increasing Rapidly
India has already made significant strides in fantasy sports to become the largest market in the world with over 200 Indian operator companies and 13 crore Indian users. So, in terms of percentage, it is expected to retain over 50% market share for the next five years. In this digital era, as the fantasy cricket trend is increasing with every passing day with new registrations increasing rapidly, the nation will see millions of users in the coming years.
3. Users Like Shorter Format of Fantasy Cricket
It is no surprise that users like to play the shorter format of fantasy cricket because they can manage their daily chores while having fun on the fantasy platform. Due to the increasing popularity of the likes of IPL, BBL, etc, the IPL fantasy league is on a roll in India. Thus, T20s and ODIs are users’ favourite versions for daily gaming.
4. Fantasy Gaming is Attracting the Females Too
When females can play regular cricket and win trophies for their country, why not play fantasy cricket? Yes, female followers have also shown interest in playing fantasy sports and winning prizes through contests. Moreover, the first edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is nearing its finish in a few days. So, women are equally passionate and eager to participate in the digital version of the game.
5. People Prefer Playing Fantasy Games on Mobiles
When things are happening at the tip of your fingers, who wants to go for alternative methods? With the technological advancements and the increase in the penetration of smartphones along with an initiative of digital India, many people including, the old generation folks, prefer to play fantasy games on their mobile phones. However, you can enjoy accessing the gaming websites on your iPads or laptops, or desktop computers to enjoy it on a larger screen.
6. Apps is Providing an Intuitive Experience
Probably that time has already come when any business without an app cannot reach their prospective customer fairly. And when it comes to gaming, it’s even tougher if there is no app for the users. In other terms, apps make gaming uncomplicated.
Apps provide flexibility to the users to access it from anywhere at any time. It offers a lively, cosy, and improved gameplay experience, which is easy to allure sports enthusiasts. As there is unlimited internet access available in almost all places now, there is no hurdle to play fantasy cricket whenever you like. And the demand for online games has substantially increased as well.
7. Gaming Lets You Use Your Insights
India is a cricket-loving nation. Hence, when fantasy cricket launched a decade ago, all Indian sports enthusiasts could easily connect with the online version of the game. It lets you use your gaming experience and insights to earn real cash prizes while having fun. Online cricket is closest to the real sport as your scoring is dependent on the real cricketer’s performance on the field. So, your favourite star’s action makes your game interesting.
8. League Varieties
Fantasy sports could offer a multitude of leagues and contests for the fans to play and win big prizes regularly as it is a billion-dollar industry. The millions of users and viewers for the game are the perfect example of its popularity and how engaging it is to sporting buffs. Also, the unlimited contests hosted on the platform will provide various options for you.
9. Rewards Provide a Sense of Joy
Human behaviours are motivated by two factors: requirements and incentives. So, free rewards are ideal flint to start attracting the crowd without marketing and there are no better ways to motivate someone than financial benefits.
So, as a user, you can participate in the contests after becoming confident of competing with other users on the platform to play and earn real cash prizes. It helps you win big rewards for using your gaming skills and passion. However, the IPL fantasy league is a game of skill and thus it is recommended to play on trusted gaming platforms only.