Let’s be real, if we ask any Indian kid what they would do on a Sunday afternoon the response is the same, grab a bat, find out door space, and play cricket. We may play in a fancy pitch or a small area between two apartment buildings. The game will follow us. As a matter of fact, what we do as a sport in India is a lot more than what the world gives us credit for. Yes, cricket is our king. But Kabaddi is filling stadiums up, football is taking over in Kerala and Goa. Also, since Neeraj Chopra put a javelin in to get us Olympic gold, we have an all-new set of fans for athletics.
Top 10 Most Popular Sports in India
1. Cricket
There’s no competition here. Cricket in India isn’t just popular, it’s practically woven into the national identity. The IPL alone draws over 500 million viewers per season, and that number keeps climbing. The BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world, and it shows in infrastructure, salaries, and the sheer amount of attention the game commands 365 days a year.
What makes cricket so dominating? It’s accessible. All you need is a bat, a ball, a ball, and a wall. You don’t need a full team of 11. You don’t need a proper pitch. Street cricket has been feeding the game’s grassroots for decades, and legends like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat have turned it into genuine national pride.
2. Football
Football has always been massive in pockets of India, West Bengal, Kerala, Goa, and the Northeast have been football-mad for generations. But the launch of the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2014 changed things significantly for the rest of the country too.
Today, ISL matches pull in tens of millions of viewers, and clubs like Kerala Blasters and East Bengal have fan followings that rival cricket team in their Regions. The Indian national team is still finding its footing globally, but the domestic passion? That’s very real.
3. Kabaddi
A decade ago, Kabaddi was seen as a rural sport, something played at melas and village fairs. Then the Pro Kabaddi League Launched in 2014, and everything changed. The league drew over 250 million viewers in its first season alone, making it one of the most-watched sports leagues in India almost immediately.
The format is simple, the matches are fast, and the action is intense. Kabaddi has become a genuine spectator sport with international reach, especially after its consistent presence at the Asian Games. India has won the men’s Kabaddi gold at every Asian Games it has been held.
4. Badminton
Before PV Sindhu won silver at Rio 2016, most Indian households had a racquet collecting dust in a corner. After Rio? Badminton academies were flooded with applications.
Sindhu and Saina Nehwal turned badminton into appointment viewing in India. Today, India is consistently ranked among the top badminton nations globally, with multiple players regularly competing in BWF Super Series tournaments. It’s one the fastest-growing participatory sports in the country right now, especially among school kids.
5. Hockey
Field hockey holds a special place in India’s sports history. India dominated the sport for decades, winning eight Olympic gold medals between 1928 and 1980, a record that still stands. The legacy is undeniable.
The Hockey India League and a revitalized national team have helped bring back some of the old excitement. India’s bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, their first Olympic hockey medal in 41 years, was a massive moment that reminded the country just how good Indian hockey can be.
6. Wrestling
Traditional wrestling (Kushti) has been a way of life in rural Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh for centuries. But it looks like Olympic medals will bring it to prime time.
Sushil Kumar’s consecutive Olympic medals, followed by Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat’s international dominance, put Indian wrestling on the global map. Today, wrestling has strong government support, a passionate grassroots base, and serious medal potential at LA 2028.
7. Tennis
Tennis has always had a dedicated urban following in India, and Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi built a legacy that kept the sport’s profile high for two decades. Their Grand Slam double victories made Indians realize that they could compete at the highest level on grass and clay.
Today, a new generation of Indian tennis players is coming through, and ATP and WTA viewership has grown steadily, particularly among metro audiences who follow international circuits closely.
8. Basketball
Basketball’s growth in India has a very specific trigger, the NBA. The league’s massive global marketing push, NBA India Games, and the sport’s dominance on social media have turned basketball into a cool, aspirational activity for urban Indian youth.
3×3 basketball’s addition to the Olympics has also opened up a new pathway for Indian players. The sport is still early in its mainstream journey, but the trajectory is pointing sharply upward.
9. Athletics
Before August 7, 2021, most Indians couldn’t name the javelin throw as an Olympic event. Then Neeraj Chopra threw 87.58 meters and won India’s first-ever Olympic gold in athletics, and the country went into collective celebration.
Since that moment, athletics has seen a genuine surge in interest. Young athletes from Haryana and Punjab are now pursuing track and field with Olympic ambitions, government funding has increased, and Neeraj himself had become one of the biggest sports celebrities in the country.
9. Shooting
Shooting doesn’t have a massive TV viewership, but in terms of Olympic performance, it’s been India’s most consistent medal factory. Abinav Bindra’s 2008 Beijing gold, India’s first individual Olympic gold, is still one of the most celebrated moments in the country’s sporting history.
Manu Bhaker’s double bronze at Paris 2024 brought shooting back into the spotlight. With strong grassroots programs run by the National Rifle Association of India and solid government support via TOPS, shooting remains a powerhouse sport for Indian medal hopes.
Conclusion
India has a very large sports culture which goes beyond just cricket. While cricket is by far the most popular game here, we also see growth in sports like football, kabaddi, badminton and athletics which are gaining large fan bases and participation. With international success in these sports and growing interest from the youth, the top 10 most popular sports in India are very diverse and are in a state of great evolution.
