August 20, 2025, 2:14 pm
In India, cricket is traditionally considered a national sport and part of the national culture, occupying a central place in the local betting market. However, outside of cricket, there is a whole range of sports that attract users and form their own audiences. The development of online betting and the availability of international sports broadcasts have opened up new opportunities for betting enthusiasts. More and more Indian users are trying their hand at predicting events in football, field hockey, tennis, badminton and other disciplines.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at which sports other than cricket are popular in India according to the experts at sportale.in, why they are interesting for betting, and what to look for when choosing events.
Football in India has long been overshadowed by cricket, but the situation has begun to change over the past 10-15 years. The emergence of the Indian Super League (ISL) and the national team's regular participation in international tournaments have attracted a new audience. Young users are particularly active in football betting, following not only domestic competitions but also European leagues such as the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.
Football offers a wide range of betting markets. You can predict the outcome of a match, the exact score, the number of goals, corners, cards and place live bets. For beginners, it is interesting because most local projects offer detailed statistics and a convenient live centre.
Field hockey is a unique discipline that is one of the historically significant sports in India. The national team has won the Olympic championship many times and continues to hold strong positions in the world rankings, which fuels interest in this sport. This format of competition is particularly popular. This sport is especially popular in the Punjab, Odisha and Haryana regions, where professional and semi-professional clubs are actively developing.
Local bettors prefer to bet on high-profile international tournaments such as the FIH Hockey Pro League and the Olympic Games. Betting formats include predictions on outcomes, handicaps and totals. One of the main reasons for the popularity of field hockey betting is the opportunity to find favourable odds, as the betting lines presented in the sports catalogues of local websites are sometimes even more detailed than those for football or cricket. This area is currently developing rapidly, attracting the attention of an increasing number of bettors.
This sport has become so popular thanks to the contribution of Indian champions to its development. Badminton in India received a strong boost after the successes of local athletes at world-class competitions – Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, Saina Nehwal. Their victories at world championships and the Olympics have drawn attention to this sport. Badminton betting is interesting due to the fast pace of the matches and the possibility of placing live bets after each rally. The most popular markets are match winner, exact score per set and handicaps.
Anyone who wants to experience the national flavour of India should watch a kabaddi competition at least once. This is a traditional Indian sport that has been modernised in recent years and is receiving widespread media coverage from local media and communities. The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has become one of the country's highest-rated sports leagues after the IPL cricket league. Betting on kabaddi is growing along with the popularity of broadcasts and high viewer engagement.
However, to bet successfully, it is important to consider the unique characteristics of this sport. In kabaddi, the physical fitness of the athletes, team tactics and the individual skills of the "raiders" are crucial. This makes match analysis more challenging, but also more interesting for experienced betting enthusiasts.
Tennis is one of the sports that has consistently maintained its popularity among Indian bettors, especially during the Grand Slam tournaments. The presence of world-class Indian doubles players such as Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi has also played a role in popularising the sport.
In tennis, bets on the winner, number of sets and games, as well as live bets that allow you to react to the course of the match, are popular. Due to frequent comebacks and changes in the course of the game, tennis is considered one of the most dynamic disciplines for betting.
The influence of the NBA and the growing number of Indian players seeking to break into the world leagues have made basketball attractive for betting. Bettors follow not only NBA games, but also European, Asian and Australian championships, as well as national tournaments, which are gradually developing in India.
Basketball is a high-scoring game, which opens up a wide range of betting opportunities on totals, individual player statistics and the exact difference in the score.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) and boxing have begun to gain popularity in India thanks to broadcasts of UFC, Bellator and professional boxing. The emergence of local fighters entering the international arena has only reinforced this trend. Bets are placed on the winner of the fight, the method of victory (knockout, judges' decision, submission) and the round in which the fight will end. Local betting sites often organise live broadcasts of competitions.
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