With the IPL around the corner, there is palpable buzz for fantasy cricket everywhere. The ongoing England tour of India and the upcoming IPL have created a lot of excitement among cricket lovers. And when you mix cricket with fantasy games, the concoction is engaging and thrilling. And it seems the trend is not only catching up but skyrocketing.
India’s online gaming industry is booming, with fantasy cricket being a big contributor. As per media reports, the fantasy sports industry recorded a whopping revenue of Rs. 43 billion in FY 2018 and it is growing year on year.
The industry is regulated by a self-regulatory body called the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) formed in the year 2017. According to a report by the Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG) and KPMG, India’s fantasy sports and the gaming industry is worth $43.8 billion and is expected to reach $118.8 billion by FY23, growing at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 22.1%.
Given the huge population of our country that has an eternal love for cricket, the huge size of the fantasy sports market is no surprise.
One popular platform that helps you enjoy fantasy cricket and offers you an opportunity to win real money in prizes is Howzat. Howzat is a fantasy sports website/application by the leading gaming company Junglee Games (the developer and publisher of Junglee Rummy, Junglee Teenpatti, etc.). It promises to be the next big thing in the world of fantasy sports. The Howzat app can be downloaded in any one of the four methods below:
- From the Play Store (Android app) and App Store (iOS app).
- Via a link received in an SMS.
- By giving a missed call at 8860-799-599.
- By scanning the QR Code on the website.
Apart from fantasy cricket, you can also enjoy fantasy football and fantasy kabaddi on the app. Only a few websites have been able to cater to the fans of kabaddi, Howzat being one of them. With Yuvraj Singh as its brand ambassador along with the likes of Kumar Sangakarra, Kieron Pollard and Irfan Pathan, the application/website has already established a strong foothold and looks all set to be a market leader in the world of fantasy sports.
The interface of this app is easy to navigate and super convenient to users. The credit value assigned to each player gives a realistic IPL-like touch to the game of cricket on the app. For example, a player like Virat Kohli being more expensive than Shreyas Iyer gives people a sense of realism, making the game even more interesting. The points system is absolutely on target. It makes fantasy contests highly entertaining. Howzat not only covers the basics of the game such as runs scored, wickets and catches taken, but also takes into consideration various other aspects of performance such as the strike rate of batsmen, the economy rate of bowlers, maiden overs bowled by a bowler and so on. Some of the highlights of the points system are as follows:
- For every run scored, the batsman gets 1 point.
- For every wicket taken, the bowler gets 25 points, but only 16 points in Test Cricket.
- There are points for economy rate in white-ball cricket but not for Test matches.
To gain knowledge and confidence, a lot of free practice contests are available to play. So users can sharpen their skills by playing free games before they play for real cash.
Howzat also has a contest where you can create your fantasy team and challenge the fantasy teams of various cricket legends such as Yuvraj Singh, Kumar Sangakarra, Kieron Pollard and Irfan Pathan. The contest is called “Beat the Legend” and it is immensely popular with cricket lovers.
As for the IPL, it is one of the biggest and most popular cricket leagues in the world. The tournament spans over about 60 matches, with the most decorated players the cricketing world has ever seen playing for different teams.
The tournament is also a wonderful opportunity for fantasy cricket players to win a lot of real money on Howzat. One of the biggest advantages of the IPL is that even people who are not ardent cricket followers are well familiar with the players participating in the tournament. The event not only becomes a delight to watch as a sporting event, but also enjoying fantasy cricket and keeping track of the performance of one’s fantasy teams gives users a different thrill, leading to an increase in popularity of the sport, the tournament and of course the concept of fantasy cricket.
As per some reports, more than 77% of all fantasy sports players in India in 2020 were fantasy cricket players. This is because there were no major tournaments or sports events happening and the fans of cricket in India were desperate for a cricketing event to take place. The IPL was the first tournament involving Indian players to happen since March 2020 and it is easy to understand why the popularity of the tournament, as well as the popularity of fantasy cricket, skyrocketed. People saw fantasy cricket and the IPL as an escape from their daily boredom and the IPL has always proved to be a great entertainer.
So what are you waiting for? Download the Howzat Fantasy Cricket App and win some real money while enjoying cricket.