Cricket has a massive global following, especially in countries within the Indian subcontinent, such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India. There are several versions and tournaments of this popular sport, with the best cricket players competing in various leagues globally to be part of top-ranked teams. Without further ado, here are the top 4 most popular cricket tournaments in the world:
- The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
The Australian cricket team won the most recent edition of the Cricket World Cup with an 85.7% win percentage. Except for the West Indies, no other team has won this prestigious tournament more than once – a testament to the high level of competition and quality of play.
The ICC World Cup is the largest cricket event globally and holds once every four years. The tournament’s organizers, the International Cricket Council, tagged it as the “flagship event of the international cricket calendar.” Of course, given the hype and excitement surrounding it, it’s no surprise. In fact, the tournament’s last edition broke viewing records globally, with about 112 billion minutes of matches viewed in India alone despite the national team’s early elimination.
- Ashes Series
Unlike the T20 World Cup, which currently pits 16 teams against each other to battle for the trophy, the Ashes is a clash between two rivals – England and Australia.
The Ashes Series has an exciting backstory, originating from England’s defeat to Australia in 1882. The match made headlines, and a popular news headline referred to the occasion as one where England’s “ashes were taken to Australia.”
The headline had the desired effect as England won the very next series. Nowadays, the tournament is made up of five tests. The team with the most recent win gets to keep the trophy.
72 series have been played, with Australia coming up trumps on 34 occasions and England winning 32 times. They played draw in 6 of their meetings. There have also been 340 tests played, with Australia and England having 140 and 108 wins, respectively. The rest have been drawn.
- Indian Premier League
Founded in 2007 by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), the IPL (Indian Premier League) is the most popular domestic cricket tournament globally. In addition, it’s the second most-attended cricket tournament in 2022.
The tournament pits ten teams across ten Indian cities and states and is played every summer. The matches are thrilling and followed by an ardent fanbase, with viewership records set every season.
There have been 15 editions of the Indian Premier League, with the current title holders being the Gujarat Titans, who won the 2022 tournament.
- Asia Cup
The Asia Cup is under the jurisdiction of the Asian Cricket Council. It’s a continental cricket tournament exclusive to Asian tournaments. Having started in 1984, it’s one of the most popular and fiercely-contested tournaments, with an especially heated rivalry between the Indian and Pakistani teams.
Conclusion
Finally, special mentions go to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and Big Bash League. Interestingly, the latter is steadily gaining popularity globally, and betting enthusiasts on Sportsbetio will have an exciting time placing wagers on different events in the tournament.
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