Bookies tip RCB as favourites for IPL 10

The world’s most extravagant league of cricket kicks off in a couple of days, and bookies are all set to get back into the thick of things in the IPL. For the 2017 edition of the cash-rich tournament, bookies have taken to apps to swindle the cops. The current trends tip two-time finalists Royal Challengers Bangalore to clinch the title this year.

Police sources mentioned that the recently implemented demonetization which has resulted in a cash crunch across the country will encourage betters to use gold and property as stakes. The bets for the 10^th season of the IPL are expected to go north of Rs. 2000 crore. As of now, RCB are favourites to win the tournament, followed by Rising Pune Supergiant, Mumbai Indians, and Gujarat Lions.

Apps such as ‘betfair’ and ‘bet365’ are easily available in app stores as betting has been legalised in several countries across the world. As many as 35 apps could be used this year to place bets during ongoing IPL matches.

Currently RCB are table toppers as far as the betting outfit is concerned. Virat Kohli’s side have a rate of 3.75 for Rs. 100. This means that if a better places a bet of Rs. 100 on the RCB, he or she will receive Rs. 375 if the team wins. By the same token the Rising Pune Supergiant have a rate of 6.10, while the Mumbai Indians are closely behind at 6.30. Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 7.20, the Delhi Daredevils at 7.60 and two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders are at 8. Kings XI Punjab find themselves at the very end, with a rate of 11.

Bookies, who have spoken on a condition of anonymity, revealed that bets would also be placed on other achievements such as the number of fifties scored, sixes hit and wickets taken to name a few.

Leading up to the grand tournament, police officials are on the lookout for busting betting rings. Officials have called for stricter laws, as under the current regulations, getting a bail when charged for betting and gambling is rather simple.

In the recent past, actor Vindoo Dara Singh and the Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan were arrested for having placed and accepted bets during the IPL. Following this incident, bookies have especially been wary of the Mumbai police as the department was active in raiding suspected betting rings. However, the police have warned that since the betting industry has shifted to a digital platform, people could place bets from anywhere in public without being conspicuous.