Betting GuidesCricket betting markets explained: match odds, toss and more
Cricket betting markets on King Exchange: match odds, toss, totals, sessions and player markets, each with back and lay. How to read a market before you confirm.
3 min read
Sports · Updated
Cricket betting, from the toss to the last ball.
Cricket betting means putting money on an outcome in a match: who wins, who calls the toss right, or how many runs a team scores in a set number of overs. On King Exchange you can bet before the first ball or live, on the IPL, international series and T20 leagues, all from one ID.
Cricket at a glance
In-play markets- Formats
- T20, ODI, Test
- Big events
- IPL, WPL, ICC
- When to bet
- Pre-match & live
- Most popular
- Match odds, sessions
- Odds style
- Decimal, back & lay
The short version
Key takeaways
- 1Six market types cover most bets: match odds, the toss, session runs, top batter or bowler, player runs, and sixes or boundaries.
- 2T20 is the easiest format to start with. Matches are short and always finish with a winner.
- 3Wickets move prices more than anything else, and evening dew usually helps the team batting second.
- 4One ID covers the IPL, WPL, ICC events and bilateral series.
Markets explained
What can I bet on in cricket?
You can bet on match odds, the toss winner, session runs at a set over, the top batter and bowler, player runs and more, before the match and live. Match odds is the most popular: back a team you think will win, or lay one you think will lose. Test matches add the draw.
Match odds
Pick the winner. Back a team you think will win, or lay one you think will lose. Test matches add a third outcome, the draw.
Check the playing XI first. One missing bowler can move the price.
Toss winner
Pick which captain wins the coin toss. The market settles before the first ball is bowled.
It's close to a coin flip, so keep the stake small.
Session runs
Bet over or under a runs line at a set point in the innings, such as the end of the 6th or 10th over. Many players call these fancy markets.
Compare the line with the ground's average powerplay score.
Top batter and bowler
Pick the player who scores the most runs or takes the most wickets for their side.
In short formats, batting position matters more than reputation.
Player runs
Bet over or under a runs line for one batter. The line moves with every ball they face.
Openers face more balls, so their lines start higher.
Sixes and boundaries
Bet on how many sixes or fours are hit in an innings or across the whole match.
Small grounds and flat pitches push these totals up.
Odds and settlement
How does cricket betting work?
You choose an outcome and the exchange shows a decimal price. If you back it and it wins, your return is your stake multiplied by the price. A ₹500 back bet at 1.80 returns ₹900: your ₹500 stake plus ₹400 profit. If it loses, you lose the stake.
The price shows how likely the market thinks an outcome is. At 1.50 a team is a clear favourite. At 3.20 it's the underdog.
A lay bet works the other way round. You bet that an outcome won't happen and win the backer's stake if you're right. Lay ₹500 at 1.80 and your liability is ₹400, which the bet slip shows before you confirm.
Live prices update after almost every ball. Markets pause for a moment after a wicket or during a review, then reopen at the new price.
Worked example · ₹500 at 1.80
- Back
Wins: +₹400
₹900 back in your balance
Loses: −₹500
- Lay
Wins: +₹500
The outcome didn't happen
Loses: −₹400
If rain gets in the way
- Bets settle on the official result.
- If rain shortens a match, match odds follow the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) result.
- If a match is abandoned with no result, match odds bets are usually void and stakes are returned.
- Session and player bets settle only if the overs they depend on were bowled.
T20 vs ODI vs Test
Which format is easiest for beginners?
Start with T20. A match takes about three and a half hours, it always ends with a winner, and scoring follows patterns that repeat from game to game, so session lines are easier to judge. ODIs swing more slowly because a fifty-over innings gives the batting side time to recover from early wickets. Tests are the hardest to read, since weather and the draw both come into play.
| Format | Length | Can it be drawn? | Markets that suit it |
|---|---|---|---|
| T20 | 20 overs a side, about 3.5 hours | No. A tie goes to a Super Over | Session runs, sixes, player runs, live match odds |
| ODI | 50 overs a side, about 8 hours | No, though a tie can happen | Match odds, top batter, innings totals |
| Test | Up to five days | Yes | Match odds with the draw, first-innings lead, session runs |
Price movers
What changes cricket odds during a match?
Wickets move cricket odds most, and live prices also follow the run rate against the required rate. Before the first ball, the toss, pitch report, weather and confirmed XI set the opening price. During the match, pitch wear, dew in night games, cloud cover, injuries and boundary size all shift it.
01
Wickets
The biggest mover. Live prices also follow the run rate against the required rate.
02
Toss and team news
The toss result, pitch report, weather and confirmed XI set the opening price.
03
Pitch wear
Dry pitches break up as the match goes on and start to help spinners.
04
Dew
In Indian night games, dew makes the ball hard to grip. That usually helps the team chasing.
05
Overcast skies
Cloud cover helps swing bowlers early in an innings.
06
Injuries
If a side loses a front-line bowler, the team batting against them gets a shorter price.
07
Impact Player
In the IPL, an Impact Player substitute can add batting depth partway through a match.
08
Boundary size
Short boundaries mean bigger totals and more sixes.
IPL and beyond
Can I bet on IPL matches on King Exchange?
Yes. Every IPL match has pre-match and live markets, including match odds, the toss, session runs and player totals. The same ID also covers the WPL, ICC World Cups and the Champions Trophy, India's Test, ODI and T20I series, and overseas leagues such as the Big Bash, SA20 and The Hundred.
Read the IPL betting guide- IPL
- WPL
- ICC World Cups
- Champions Trophy
- Test series
- ODI series
- T20I series
- Big Bash
- SA20
- The Hundred
- Selected domestic matches
Getting started
How do I place my first cricket bet?
Get your ID on WhatsApp, then deposit ₹100 or more by UPI or bank transfer from an account in your own name. Log in, open Cricket and choose the fixture, reading the team news first. Enter an amount you can afford to lose, check the price and liability on the bet slip, and confirm.
- 1
Step 1 of 4
Get your ID on WhatsApp
Message the official number and pick a username. Your login details arrive in the same chat.
- 2
Step 2 of 4
Add funds
Deposit ₹100 or more by UPI or bank transfer from an account in your own name, then send the UTR or a screenshot in the chat.
- 3
Step 3 of 4
Pick a match
Log in, open Cricket and choose the fixture. Read the team news before you pick a market.
- 4
Step 4 of 4
Set your stake
Enter an amount you can afford to lose, check the price and your liability on the bet slip, then confirm.
18+ only
Before you place anything.
Betting carries financial risk and can become addictive. You must be 18 or over. Online betting laws differ from state to state in India, so check the rules where you live.
Responsible gaming tools- 1Decide what you can afford to lose before the match starts, and stop when you reach it.
- 2Don't chase losses with bigger stakes.
- 3Set a deposit limit by day, week or month. Support can add one for you.
- 4If betting stops being fun, ask support to pause or close your ID.
Sources
Where to check the facts.
- ICCPlaying conditions for Tests, ODIs and T20Is, including rain-affected matches. (opens in a new tab)
- BCCIIndia's fixtures, squads and domestic cricket announcements. (opens in a new tab)
- ESPNcricinfoScorecards, venue records and player statistics. (opens in a new tab)
These sites open in a new tab. King Exchange is not affiliated with them.
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Answers
Cricket betting: your questions
Short answers on sessions, rain rules, live betting, back and lay, and which competitions you can bet on.
7 questions
Yes, through session markets. You bet over or under a run line for a set point in the innings. If the line is 52 and you bet over, the team needs 53 or more by that point for your bet to win.
Markets open before the toss
Ready when the next match starts.
Ask for your ID on WhatsApp and you can be on a cricket market in a few minutes. 18+ only. Betting carries financial risk, so set a budget first.
- Pre-match and live markets
- Deposits from ₹100
- Withdraw to your own UPI