Cricket is a game enjoyed by millions of people in India. So when a concept like fantasy cricket becomes a hit, it doesn’t come as a surprise. Creating their own cricket teams on a fantasy cricket app before any upcoming match has become cricket fans’ routine in India.
You don’t need to go anywhere to enjoy playing your favorite game now. You can play fantasy cricket for free on a certified platform like the Howzat app, which is available on the Play Store for free.
Let’s take a look at how fantasy sports in India have risen over the years and the history behind the concept that originated in the early years of the 21st century. Here’s how the thrilling roller-coaster journey of fantasy sports in India has unfolded from its inception:
Super Selector era and a successful start
Fantasy sports was first introduced in the United States in 1952, but Indians had to wait more than half a century to try it out. ESPN Star Sports developed the Super Selector game around the turn of the century, which drew a lot of attention from Indian cricket enthusiasts.
Fantasy sports entered the Indian industry with the introduction of the revolutionary Super Selector game. The game was about putting together a squad of 11 players on a tight budget, with the team owners winning points based on the players’ on-field accomplishments.
During the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Super Selector attracted 5 lakh participants. The high level of enthusiasm among Indian fans prompted global sports media companies Sky Network and BBC to develop their own fantasy sports websites. Super Selector, on the other hand, didn’t last long and Indian cricket fans had to wait another ten years before they could play fantasy cricket games again.
The basic principle of fantasy cricket games has stayed the same through the years, with fans selecting 11 players from the two teams competing in a real-world match. Contestants on Howzat must choose a minimum of three batters and bowlers, and at least one all-rounder and wicketkeeper each. The maximum slots for the primary roles (batting and bowling) are 6, while all-rounders and wicket-keepers are restricted to 3 each.
The study of a player’s performance based on their present form, past performances at a particular venue, and previous performances versus an opponent is important when it comes to selecting a team in fantasy sports. This research varies with each sport, but experienced participants gain an understanding of how to pick teams and which players provide them with an advantage as they play more and more games.
Renaissance of fantasy cricket in India
There was a void of fantasy gaming in the Indian sports industry until the cricket boards and tournaments launched their official fantasy cricket leagues in 2013 and since then, the sector hasn’t looked back with an escalation in the number of users due to various factors. The first official fantasy game was released in 2013, and since then not only fantasy cricket but fantasy sports in general have grown in popularity. Daily fantasy leagues have gotten a lot of attention recently. Users of fantasy sports can compete in a variety of leagues on apps like Howzat.
Along with fantasy cricket, there has been a lot of interest in fantasy games including football and kabaddi in recent years. Fantasy football and fantasy kabaddi are two additional popular games available on Howzat.
Numbers in fantasy sports
According to the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) and KPMG’s recent research “Business of Fantasy Sports,” the gross income of fantasy sports operators was US$ 340.47 million in FY2020, up 200% from US$ 131.64 million in FY2019.
According to the Indian Sports Gaming Federation, there are about 100 million fantasy users in India. With the number of overall sports viewers in India being close to 800 million, there are a lot of untapped opportunities in the market.
There are now over 150 fantasy game platforms compared to just 10 that existed five years ago, in 2016. Although cricket has a 77% market share and generates the majority of the revenue, other sports are also gaining popularity, especially football. According to a survey, fantasy football is currently enjoyed by 47% of all fantasy players, while kabaddi is enjoyed by 9% of them.
So what is it that attracts millions of people to fantasy sports apps like Howzat? Let’s take a look.
Some Salient Features of the Howzat app
Free contests
There are a lot of people who are joining fantasy platforms every day to enjoy cricket. Howzat is the best platform to begin your fantasy gaming career on, given its easy-to-use interface and the unlimited free contests it provides. The platform offers you a chance to test your sports/cricket skills in all major international and domestic tournaments, series and matches played across the globe. You can sharpen your skills by playing free contests and defeat your opponents using your cricket knowledge.
Easy registration
It takes only a few moments to sign up on the Howzat app. Download the Howzat app from the Play Store and sign up using your mobile number or Google/Facebook account. As soon as you do that, you can join matches of your choice.
Real players and real-time score updates
On Howzat, you always play with real cricket fans from across the country. There are no bots on the platform. Players’ scores and ranks on the scoreboard are updated in real time based on cricketers’ performance in the live match. There is no scope for any bias whatsoever.
Unique scoring system
Howzat has a unique scoring system that takes every statistical and measurable on-field performance of players into account, which makes games on the platform highly entertaining.
Conclusion
Certified apps like Howzat are becoming more popular by the day and winning the hearts of millions of new sports fans every year, thereby driving the growth of the fantasy sports industry in India.
Millions of Indians play fantasy sports every day not just to have entertainment but to have productive entertainment. If you have a good knowledge of cricket, you can play fantasy cricket for real money and win cash prizes on the Howzat cash app, which you can download from the Howzat’s official website. Withdrawing your cash winnings from Howzat is very easy.
