British bookies have made India the favourite team to win the cricket World Cup and that conviction was supported by a £82,000 bet in favour of the co-host lifting the cup. The bet, made by one person (who has not been identified), from outside London, is one of the biggest ever in one-day cricket, Ladbrokes said on Friday. If India wins, the bookmaker would have to give a payout of £246,000.
“As the tournament gets underway one punter has nailed his colours firmly to India’s mast. It’s one of the biggest bets we’ve ever laid in the one-day format and we’ve even more reason now to fear an India win,” Ladbrokes spokesperson Alex Donohue said on Friday.
India is a 3/1 favourite with Ladbrokes to win the tournament. Sri Lanka is at 9/2, South Africa at 11/2, and Australia at 6/1.
Other bookies have almost similar odds for India to win the championship. India is a 5/2 favourite to win the World Cup for bookmakers William Hill, followed by Sri Lanka at 7/2, with Australia at 5/1 and South Africa at 11/2. England has been given 7/1 odds, followed by Pakistan at 8/1 and New Zealand at 20/1.
The betting hasn’t really warmed up as yet and the bookmakers expect more frenzied betting in the UK. once the tournament starts. Till now, most bets have come from South Asian diaspora in Britain.
Ashes champions England, hovering between odds of 7/1 and 8/1, have not seen much support in the betting on who will win the World Cup.
However, bookmakers have warned that given the team’s recent performance, it would be wrong to write off its chances. “Expectations are low but England have the Ashes and Twenty20 World Cup behind them, so write them off at your peril,” William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said.
India (13/8), Australia (5/1), Pakistan (11/2) and South Africa (11/2) are in contention to become the team to score the most sixes. William Hill is offering the best odds on Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag, Yusuf Pathan and Shahid Afridi to score the fastest 50 of the tournament.