How Local English Cricket Can Help Grow Popularity of English Players Among an Indian Audience

Cricket is the fourth most popular sport in England, behind tennis, rugby union, and football. It’s home to the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, which is also often referred to by many in the sport as the spiritual home of cricket in England and one of England and Wales’ premier cricket grounds. 

In the upcoming 2024 Indian Premier League, which is also known as TATA IPL 2024 for sponsorship reasons or IPL 17 as it will be the 17th edition since the competition began in 2008, a total of 19 players across several IPL clubs will be representing England. 

Let’s dive straight in and take a closer look at how local English cricket competitions like the T20 Blast and the English national men’s cricket team are helping to grow the popularity of English players like Jos Butler of the Rajasthan Royals and Moeen Ali of the Chennai Super Kings among an Indian audience.  

How does cricket played in England help grow the popularity of English players among an Indian audience?

England is home to some of the world’s most-watched domestic cricket competitions, and it’s where many English players who end up playing in the Indian Premier League – the world’s biggest and most successful domestic cricket league, started their careers. 

The major national English cricket competitions that are helping to grow the popularity of rising English stars among an Indian audience and also make cricket betting apps more popular than ever in India are the following competitions:

• T20 Blast
• The Hundred
• County Championship
• Charlotte Edwards Cup
• Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
• Royal London One-Day Cup

England also has a huge presence on the global stage and usually competes in every major international competition it can, including the Cricket World Cup, the ICC World Test Championship, the ICC T20 World Cup, the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, the ICC Champions Trophy, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the Women’s Cricket World Cup, and the ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup. 

Most of the international cricket matches involving England and the domestic matches that take place across England are broadcast across the world via several major sports streaming apps, meaning the Indian audience now has much easier access to English county and national cricket matches, so they can watch the rising stars without ever having to leave India. 

The most successful championship-winning county club is Yorkshire (33 titles), followed by Surrey (22), Middlesex (13), Lancashire (9), Essex, and Warwickshire (both 8 titles). Many of England’s most iconic cricket stars from past and present who have had a successful cricket career abroad have, at some point, played for one or more of these teams. 

Which English cricketers will feature in the upcoming 2024 Indian Premier League?

A total of nine English players were retained by IPL teams this year, and six new English players were purchased at the IPL mini-auction in Dubai on December 19, 2023. 

The two biggest English stars to watch this year will be Moeen Ali for the Chennai Super Kings (the current reigning IPL champions) and Jos Butler for the Rajasthan Royals. Fellow countryman Tom Kohler-Cadmore also plays for RR. 

The Punjab Kings have Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, and Chris Woakes, and the Lucknow Super Giants have Mark Wood and David Willey. 

You also have Jason Roy playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Harry Brook playing for the Delhi Capitals, and three English players – Will Jack, Tom Curran, and Reece Topley, all playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

No English players currently play for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Mumbai Indians, or the Gujarat Titans. 

Who is going to win the 2024 IPL season outright, and where can I bet if I live in India?

According to today’s most trusted Indian online bookmakers, the team most likely to win the 2024 IPL season outright are the current reigning champions, the Chennai Super Kings, who are priced, on average, at around 5.75 in the decimal odds format. 

You then have the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, who are both currently joint-priced as the second odds-on favourites to win at 6.50. 

If you live in India and want to place bets on the upcoming IPL, which is set to commence on March 22, one of the most trusted Indian online sports betting review sites you can turn to in 2024 is the official TheTopBookies.com website.