The first cricket match ever recorded in India took place in 1721. Since then, the sport has grown to become the most popular in India and that includes people watching matches in the stadium and on television. The top cricket players often go on to enjoy celebrity status, but what other sports have big fan bases in India?
Football
Football is the most popular sport in the world and so it comes as little surprise to see it in this list. However, the Indian national team has struggled to compete with the top Asian nations and other countries around the world. Indeed, the country has yet to qualify for a World Cup and rarely comes close to qualification for the biggest sports event on the planet. Nonetheless, football has over 150 million fans in India and Lionel Messi recently visited the country as part of a promotional tour. Youth participation has been growing and many fans like to bet on football in India. Where gambling is legal, India’s best betting sites offer a plethora of football markets daily including live betting on the Indian Super League.
Hockey
Ice hockey may rule in North America, but it is a different story in India where field hockey is king. Hockey was introduced to India in the early 1900s during British rule and it did not take long for the sport to become popular. India quickly developed into a top hockey playing nation and they dominated the Olympic Games in the late 1920s and 1930s. India have 8 Olympic golds to their name and the men’s team won the 2025 Men’s Hockey Asia Cup. Hockey is particularly popular in Punjab, Haryana, and Odisha with both men and women playing the game at all levels.
Badminton
As with many sports in India, badminton was introduced to the country by British officers in the 1870s. The Badminton Association of India was formed in 1934 and the sport has continued to grow, with notable achievements including PV Sindhu’s silver medal at the 2016 Olympics igniting interest. Badminton is especially popular in cities where there are more courts and the Premier Badminton League, founded in 2016, has developed to become one of the best badminton leagues in the world. The league has enjoyed audiences of over 100 million and that underlines the popularity of badminton in India.
Kabaddi
Reports suggest Kabaddi could have originated anywhere between 1500 BC and 500 BC and it has grown into one of the most popular sports in India. Kabaddi is the one sport on this page that is not as popular worldwide as it is in India, with Bangladesh and other South Asian being where you will find the sport most competitive.
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