World Cup: India are bookies’ favourite

For the bookies, India is clearly the strong favourites for the crucial semifinal tie between hosts India and arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC World Cup (WC) to be played in Mohali on March 30.

If some of the punters are to be believed, a whopping Rs20,000 crore is at stake in the satta (illegal betting) market for the pulsating tie. India is placed at 60 paise, while Pakistan is at Rs1.50.

The odds are subject to change with each delivery bowled on the crucial day and other developments leading to the match.
The odds for the first semifinal between Sri Lanka and New Zealand stand at Rs0.35 for the favourites and Rs2.50 for Kiwis.

“It is for the first time that so much money is involved in the satta market for just one match,” a leading Mumbai-based bookie told DNA on Monday.

The overall quantum of money involved in the illegal betting turnover in 2011 WC is about Rs35,000 crore, as against Rs5,000 crore during the championship’s last edition, he said.

The odds, as of now, for winning the Cup are India Rs1.50, Sri Lanka 2.50,

Pakistan 4-1 and New Zealand 8-1, according to the bookies. About Rs35,000 crore has come in favour of India, while Sri Lanka stand at Rs10,000 crore.