Cricket Caught at Silly Point

Klooked fidgety throughout the evening on Friday. He was hoping to recover some money he had lost during the IPL in the next cricket series (played anywhere in the world).

- GOMESH S/INDRANEEL DAS @Chennai

But the one passion he had suddenly melted in the darkness. He could no longer make teams on Dream11 or My11Circle. All fantasy gaming apps have suspended cash games. An official communiqué of Dream11 said: "cash games and contests have been discontinued" but "stay tuned". Basically, there is a glimmer of hope. Dream11 is one of the fantasy gaming sites that is more popular than even the game of cricket. During peak hours the number of players participating in this vocation can go up to more than 10 crore.

There are indications that because of the contests over making fantasy teams, more and more people have started watching cricket. One can see people watching it on the mobile handsets on trains, buses and anywhere they can manage. Cricket had been a religion, but with the fantasy gaming sites offering money, it turned into another obsession with billions hooked to it. If the Indian Premier League has been recreating records on the field, the fantasy league apps led by Dream11 were recreating a new world order.

However, it had its flipside too. Though the Supreme Court had ruled in favour of the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) and esports federations, and considered fantasy leagues that promote making teams, as a game of skill and allowed them to continue, there were sharp criticisms as well. There were cases where excessive loss led to depressions and even suicides. The government said this upfront when they tabled the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.