What's going on in the world of cricket in December? Read on to know.
For India, it is a never ending cycle with cricket. It is more than a sport for them, we all know it, and therefore, multiple stories are happening all the time. Even in the offseason for the professional teams, the national team is playing their treasured Test series matches against some of their biggest rivals.
After a very busy month of November where they played a T20I series against South Africa and won 3-1, before which they had lost a home Test series to New Zealand 3-0, it is now Australia’s turn. However, many other things are happening in the world of cricket that all have implications for either India or one of their main opponents.
In order to cover it all, we attempt to go through the latest cricket news and the most important stories that fans should know about. From what is currently going on in the test series against Australia to the latest stories about players and teams, we cover it all.
And most importantly for the online sports betting enthusiasts among you, we evaluate the odds for all the important cricket matches coming up in the next days and weeks. Read on to learn more if you are a fan of this amazing sport, especially if your home country is involved in it and you wish to support them by making some high-quality bets.
The Test series against the Aussies began with the first Test match, played from November 22 to November 25. India won in this first matchup by 295 runs. Then Australia made it 1-1 overall with a comprehensive 10-wicket win in the second Test match in Adelaide. So it is on to the third match, one that is now being played.
At the moment, Test match no. 3 of 5 is going on. It started on December 14 and will end on December 18. The current score after the end of day 2 is 405/7 (101) for Australia and India is yet to bet. So far for the batters, A. Carey is at 45 * (47) and M. Starc is at 7* (7) for the Australians.
For the Indian side, the bowlers are M. Siraj at 1/97 (22.2) and A. Deep at 0/78 (24.2). With the series tied, both teams are looking to go ahead and take a 2-1 lead before the final games of the year take place between December 26 and 30. When it comes to odds right now, it is not fair to judge because India is yet to bat. At the moment, Australia has 1.04 odds to win it and India has 10.00.
India’s women’s team is also in action soon. On December 17, they are playing a T20I series game against the West Indies, and are the absolute favourites to win it. Their odds are 1.20 right now, as opposed to the West Indies women’s team whose odds are only 4.40. India is better as the West Indies are continuously losing against them, no matter who is playing and no matter in which format of cricket.
India is set to open the new year with the 5th and final Test of their matchup against Australia. They will be meeting across 5 days, from January 2 to January 6, 2025. It is a great way to open the calendar year with a win, provided that they secure the previous two matchups first.
When that is done, it is onto the T20I series. On January 22, India faces England in the first of 5 matches. Then it is January 25, 28, and 31 for the next three, with the final game set for February 2. Of course, traditional cricket is vastly different from its T20 counterpart, but the fans love them both and it is always a good time when these two countries go head to head. Of course, it is also going to be a great chance for the fans of sports betting to give it a go and attempt to predict the outcome and the winners.
Also Read: Why KKR Should Not Make Ajinkya Rahane Captain for IPL 2025 Despite His Stunning Batting Form
The inaugural season of the new Big Cricket League, a T20 tournament that is being played from December 12 to December 20, is well underway. Held at Surat’s Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, it is a great chance for the teams to finish the year with a bang. Two games will be played on December 16.
First, the Northern Challengers are facing the MP Tigers. The Challengers are the underdogs according to the odds as they are sitting at 2.55 right now. The Tigers are the favorites with 1.50 and the books believe they will take care of business. The second game will see the Southern Spartans play against the Up Brij Stars. The Spartans are the favorites in this one with 1.60 odds, compared to the Stars’ 2.25.
It seems that Mumbai has another future star alongside the latest trophy in their cabinet. As they completed the victory to capture the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Madhya Pradesh, Suryansh Shedge was ecstatic. He has been on a tear with three crucial contributions in his last four innings. He hit an unbeaten 36 off 15 balls and added an unbroken stand of 51 from 19 deliveries with Atharva Anolekar, who hit the winning six. The 21-year-old star contributed a lot as Mumbai captured their second title, and now has knocks of 30* (8), 36 (12), and 36 (15) in three of his last four T20 outings.
For the losing side Madhya Pradesh, this was their first final since 2011. Rajat Patidar gave it his all but it was not enough for his side to take the title. Speaking of the captain, he was involved in an unusual set of circumstances when he refused to leave the field after a shocking decision from the third umpire. Patidar was ruled to have moved too far across, which prompted him to demand a second look. The umpire said, “Extremely sorry, the ball had pitched outside the popping crease. I did not see that.” The reversed call allowed him one more delivery which he made count, and in style.
Uncapped Indian players at the Women’s Premier League 2025 auction in Bengaluru managed to get a lot of money, as reports are confirming. Simran Shaikh, the allrounder for Mumbai, was the biggest buy as Gujarat Giants picked up for $223,000. The Mumbai Indians picked up 16-year-old Tamil Nadu batter G Kamilini for $190,000 and Prema Rawat, the Uttarakhand legspinner, went for $140,000 to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Overall, 19 players were sold among the 124 that went under the hammer. Eight were overseas names. Mumbai, Delhi Capitals, Giants, and RCB picked four players and UP Warriorz bought three. The unsold bunch, when it comes to the Indian players, was surprising. Former Giants captain Sneh Rana was one of them.
At the third Border-Gavaskar Test at the Gabba, Travis Head and Steven Smith put Australia in control over India. The second day moved fast and there was plenty of action with 377 runs and 7 wickets. Five of them fell to Jasprit Bumrah who managed to keep India in the contest.
Almost singlehandedly, he made his overall test tally 49. Only Kapil Dev with 51 is an Indian bowler who is ahead of him and Anil Kumble also has 49. Bumrah has surpassed his fellow countrymen greats Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, both of which have 11 fifers in the longest cricket format. Now, only Kapil Dev is in front of him with 23 on the list of most wicket hauls for Indian pacers in the test series.
What is more, the fifer also means that Bumrah surpassed Kapil Dev’s tally of seven five-wicket hauls in SENA countries, those being South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia, the biggest rivals of India. This made him the Indian bowler with the most fifers in front of Dev with 7 and Khan with 6. He is such a great player and this performance was so big that it also marked his 9th fifer in the World Test Championship (WTC), which equaled Pat Cummins and his record. Now, Bumrah (62) is only behind Ashwin (63) in the WTC 2023/25 standings.
Akash Deep also contributed as he landed the ball in testing areas and induced 45 false shots. For reference, Bumrah had 46. However, Deep ended the day without a single wicket. The third-best player for India on the day was Mohammed Sirah who put in a solid effort. India put pressure on both ends and Australia did have to earn their points.
However, as the day went on, the lack of depth showed and Australia pulled away thanks to Head and Smith. Things were not the same as in Perth and Adelaide as the Aussies increased their tempo. The Gabba in Brisbane on day 2 witnessed Jasprit Bumrah virtually alone on the field for the visitors.
Onto the next day of play, Australia will have to think twice about Usman Khawaja and his form. In his recent 18 test knocks, the left-handed opener only managed a single half-century. Despite the team’s lead, he seemed nervous and could not deal with Bumrah’s openings. In this series, he has averaged 5.67 against Bumrah. Khawaja is 37 years old and as the legend Allan Border told Fox Cricket, “Naturally your body slows down.
Even while I was batting, I’d think ‘Gee I’d normally cut that’. But I’d let it go.” He continued, “As I got older, you’re that yard behind. It’s just those reaction times.” He had some advice for the player, saying, “He’s got to really do those hard yards. If that drops off, you’ll almost guarantee that your game will drop off.”
On day 3 of the test series, India will want to achieve some early wickets. They will surely look to get done with Australia’s first innings soon. However, things could go from bad to worse for the visiting team if Carey and Starc build a partnership early and well. For all of the latest odds once the action resumes, be sure to check out Stake and their cricket odds.
If you are one of those fans who cannot wait for big leagues and tournaments to start, worry not. There are already some outright bets you can opt for right now and wait for the tournaments to start. This gives you the highest chance of winning in case you pick the right winner. For example, the next year’s Indian Premier League winner bets are already out. The Mumbai Indians are leading the odds with 6.50. Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders each have their odds at 7.00, while the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s odds are 9.00.
When the next T20 World Cup is concerned, although not at all close, it is India as the current favourite. Their odds are 3.00. Australia and England have the same odds so they share the second spot with 6.50. South Africa is next at 9.00. For the World Cup, it is similar. The teams are in the same positions but the odds are slightly different. India’s odds of taking the next cup are 3.75. Australia is sitting at 5.00 in the second place. Third is England with 6.50 and South Africa is fourth with 7.
If you like taking risks, it makes sense to place some bets right now and hope for the best. You never know about international competitions. While a lot can change in the coming months, once you make the bet, the odds will remain the same for you. It is a whole new way to be a fan as well and you will be more invested once the competition starts.
