Bookies pitch Aussies as favourites to win the Twenty20 World Cup

With preliminary stages of the 2014 World Twenty20 cricket championships beginning in Bangladesh from today, the bookies are once again back into action. The in-form Australian team has been touted as favourites to win the cup, by the bookies, while New Zealand are the team to watch out for, say the bookies, "they could well be the dark horse of the tournament," warned a bookie.

After the major crackdown by the Mumbai and Delhi police on all the bookies after last year's Indian Premier League (IPL), this is the first major tournament in which large-scale betting is expected. According to sources, several bookies have already reached Bangladesh and are holed up in various hotels and guesthouse. "Majority of them are Indian bookies and most of them are fresh faces without any record so that they do not raise any suspicion," said a source.

According to sources in the betting world, Australia has emerged as clear favourites to win. The current rate of Australia is lowest at Rs5, as compared to other teams. "It means if you wager Rs100 on Australia and it wins, then you get back Rs105," informed a bookie.

While, Sri Lanka has emerged as the second favourite with Rs6 and India is at third position with Rs7. (See Box). "Based on recent performances, it is felt that India will not go the distance. It will at the most reach the semi-final stages," said a source.

However, another bookie said that the team to watch out for will be Kiwis. "It (New Zealand) is touted as the dark horse of the tournament and a lot of bookies are betting heavily on it," said a source. Explaining the reasoning behind it, the source said, that since NZ is not in the first-four favourite teams, there will not be many people who would bet on it. "Whereas, even if NZ reaches the semi-finals it will bring a windfall for the bookies," the source said.

Another insider said that these rates will keep changing as the tournament progresses. "As the matches begin depending upon how each team performances, their rates change accordingly," he added.

The International Cricket Council on Friday claimed that the 2014 World Twenty20 in Bangladesh is going to break all previous broadcasts records. It is expected to reach more than 1.8 billion viewers.

(For every Rs100)
Australia – Rs5
Sri Lanka – Rs6
India – Rs7
South Africa – Rs8
West Indies – Rs10
Pakistan – Rs11
New Zealand – Rs12
England – Rs18
Bangladesh – Rs52