There is one sporting positive that arose from the pandemic lockdowns and this was that many sporting federations around the globe came to the sudden realization that eSports has a lot of potential when it comes to making some more money. During the global lockdown, sport organizations and players could only provide fans with some live video game action since all sport was stopped to decrease the spread. Thus, football teams turned to FIFA, while basketball teams turned to NBA 2K. Such events attracted sports fans from all over as they were the only type of sporting entertainment available.
The Cricketing World Did Not Get Involved
Cricket teams and players have not yet taken a lot of interest in virtual games, which means that eSports is the only part of the gambling sector that cricket is yet to fully explore. This is pretty surprising actually because we believe that cricket eSports has the potential to attract a lot of attention from around the world, especially in places such as India, where eSports popularity is increasing all the time. Can you just imagine how much hype there would be if it was announced that there was going to be an eSports competition for the Indian Premier League? What more could cricket fans ask for than the best gamers, famous commentators, and quality cricket stars coming together to put on a brilliant virtual cricket show.
What Cricket Games Have a Chance of Being a Successful eSport?
Football, Formula 1, and tennis all have a variety of eSports, so it is quite surprising that a sport that is as popular as cricket is yet to see its own official eSports league or game. There has been plenty of attempts by game developers to develop cricket-themed games that are the same quality as the likes of FIFA 2021, but they have not managed to do so as of yet. There used to be a partnership between the ICC and EA Sports, and EA Sports cricket games were popular at the start of the century, but they had to discontinue their partnership because of piracy, copyright, and licensing issues.
Cricket Australia happens to be the only cricket board that is serious when it comes to technological cricket inventions. They are aware as to how much potential there is in eSports and have worked with the likes of Big Ant Studios to create games such as Cricket 19. They hope that this game will catch the attention of other cricket boards, which would help to push cricket into the eSports world. When you take the time to compare Cricket 19 with the other cricket games on offer, you will realise that it is much more immersive and life-like. When you sit down to play it, you will definitely have a really good cricket gaming experience.
Will Cricket Ever Enter the eSports World?
There is a mobile cricket game that was developed by Nautilus Mobile, which is a company based in India. At the time of writing, there are more than 50 million people that have downloaded it, but it has not received a lot of support from cricketing boards and official organization. There have been a handful of Real Cricket tournaments take place in India, but it is safe to say that there is a long way to go before it can be classified as an official game.
The number of investors and spectators in the eSports world is something that is growing all the time, and this will carry on happening as technology improves and everyone gets more connected. It has been estimated that there are about 120 million gamers across India at this moment in time, and the ever-expanding technological industry is increasing these numbers all the time.
The eSports industry in India is growing really fast, and we do not think that we are exaggerating when we say that eSports will become just as popular as real cricket, and we are all aware as to how much Indians love their cricket. If a cricket eSport ever gets up and running properly, then we truly believe that it will go on to be a huge hit in India and will eventually become just as popular as the real thing.
Fantasy Cricket
While cricket is not yet big in the world of eSports like FIFA is, it is safe to say that it has made it big in the fantasy sports world. Nowadays, there are a variety of cricket fantasy websites that you can register with and build your own team of real-life players. These players then play in tournaments such as the IPL and you will earn points based on how they play in the matches that they take part in.
In other words, what you have to do is make your own IPL predictions, or whatever the competition is, and then select the players that you think will win you the most points. There will usually be some really good cash prizes to be won, although a lot of the time you will have to pay a small fee in order to be in with a shot of winning prizes.
Why are fantasy cricket leagues so popular and what pleasure can you get from making an IPL prediction for a fantasy game when compared to playing cricket video games? Well, to begin with, fantasy cricket games are so popular because they give people the chance to be in control. We are certain that you have been supporting and watching your favourite teams, whether it is cricket, football or another sport, and have been sitting there thinking to yourself that you can do a better job than their coach. Well, fantasy sport is something that gives you the opportunity to put your money where your mouth is.
Additionally, entering a fantasy cricket league and finishing higher than everyone else is not an easy thing to do. If you happen to manage it, it’s something that you should really be proud about, even if you are only playing for fun and do not get any money for winning like you normally would when you bet on cricket online. You will struggle to find other hobbies that give you a similar experience. For instance, when you finish a video game that you have played for weeks, you will be satisfied, but you have not just beaten a bunch of diehard fans, you have only beaten the AI. Therefore, you will get a lot more satisfaction from winning a fantasy league than completing video games.
To add to this, when you play a video game, you only give them any thought when you are playing them. However, when you register for a fantasy cricket league, we are sure that you will always be thinking about your team and what you can do to make it better. Therefore, the pleasure that arises from fantasy sports is something that you will be able to experience wherever you are, while pleasure from video games is only experienced from home.
Disclaimer: Gambling involves an element of financial risk and maybe addictive. Please play responsibly and at your own risk. Subject to applicable laws.
