Cricket Session Betting — Make Accurate Cricket Session Prediction (2024)

Betting on cricket online has come a long way, evolving far beyond simply predicting the match winner or top batsman and bowler. India's leading cricket betting sites now offer a wider range of markets, giving punters a lot more opportunity to potentially cash in on their knowledge. One such exciting option is cricket session betting.

In this article, we explore in detail what betting on cricket sessions means, tips on how to make the most accurate cricket session prediction, and more.

What Is Cricket Session Betting?

Session betting in cricket involves wagering on the outcomes of certain events that are constrained to a specific time period or condition. It basically works on the principle of conditional probability, for instance, “India to score over 36 runs in the first six overs” or “Sunil Narine to take a wicket in his first over”.

What makes cricket session betting stand apart from other markets is that you must be fully involved with the game to place informed bets. As cricket is an unpredictable sport, every run scored or wicket taken can change the scenario within seconds.

Let’s understand cricket session betting in more detail through the two examples below.

1. Powerplay Sessions Bet

  • Powerplay in limited-overs cricket refers to the initial overs (6 in T20s and 10 in ODIs) during which only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle.
  • It is during this phase of the game that batsmen look to exploit the field placements and pile on as many runs as possible.

Imagine a T20 contest between the Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. Here, a perfect example of a session cricket bet would be “RCB to score over/under 49.5 runs in the first six overs.”

Why is this considered to be a cricket session market? That's because the wager is divided into two parts: the first half is “RCB to score over/under 49.5 runs,” while the second half states the time period or the number of overs within which they should score these runs.

In a nutshell, this bet (RCB to score over/under 49.5 runs) is tied in with a condition (in this case, those runs are to be scored in the first six overs), which makes it a session cricket bet.

2. Middle Overs Session Bet

  • In ODIs, middle overs refer to the overs 11–40.
  • This is the phase when batsmen are more cautious and tend to take less risk, while the bowlers look to arrest the flow of runs as they have the luxury of having four fielders within the boundary.

Suppose India is taking on Pakistan in an ODI. You bet ₹100 on Pakistan to lose their 4th wicket before they reach the score of 125. Your preferred bookmaker calculates the odds: 2.40 for “yes” and 1.50 for “no.”

Case 1: You choose “yes,” and if Pakistan does lose four or more wickets in less than 125 runs, you win this bet. Your payout will be ₹100 * 2.40 = ₹240.

Case 2: You choose “no,” and if Pakistan loses three or fewer wickets by the time they put up 125 on the board, you win this round. Your payout will be ₹100 * 1.50 = ₹150.

What Is a Cricket Session?

In cricket, a session is defined as the period of play during which overs are bowled continuously until a break is taken. In Test cricket, three sessions of two hours each are played in a day: morning (first session), post-lunch (second), and post-tea (final). In ODI and T20Is, too, each innings is broken down into three sessions: powerplay, middle overs, and slog or death overs.

SESSIONODIT20I
Powerplay overs1-101-6
Middle overs11-407-15
Slog Overs41-5016-20

Cricket Session vs. Cricket Session Betting

Now that you know what a cricket session is, don't confuse it with session betting. While they may sound similar, the two are totally different.

Cricket sessions generally refer to the fixed number of overs (mandated by the ICC) to be bowled in a game before an innings break is considered. However, betting on cricket sessions refers to wagering on the outcomes of certain events that are bound by a particular condition, be it time or the number of overs bowled. In this case, the limiting condition is set by the bookmakers and has nothing to do with the official session timelines set by the sport's governing body.

While there is a fixed number of sessions across the three formats of the sport, there can be multiple session betting markets on offer at leading betting apps and sites.

Such markets can be found aplenty for both pre-match and live cricket betting. In this section, we have listed some of the most popular session cricket bets (with real-life examples in screenshots).

1. Over/Under Runs in the First ‘X' Number of Overs

This is arguably the most popular pre-match session market that you can expect from every leading sportsbook in India. Here, you will bet on either over or under an “x” number of runs to be scored within a set number of overs.

Runs Powerplay

2. Will a Wicket Fall in the Next Over?

Another popular live session cricket market, here you will bet either “yes” or “no” on whether a wicket could fall in the next over in the game. Generally, you will see higher odds with the “yes” option.

This bet is typically a lucrative option in T20s, where the chances of wickets falling are higher than in the other two formats.

3. Team Score Before Fall of Wicket

Here, you select either over or under a certain number of runs (set by the bookmaker) to be scored before the fall of a wicket. To call this market accurately, you will have to develop a solid understanding of the two teams' strengths and weaknesses and how their players match up against each other.

Score Wicket

4. Runs Scored in a Particular Over

This session cricket bet is an in-play market, where you will bet on either over or under a certain number of runs to be scored (including extras) in a particular over. Do remember that the probability of scoring big runs in an over is way higher in T20Is compared to the other two formats.

Runs Over

5. Runs To Be Scored in the Next Ball

Much like the previous market, the only difference in this case is that you bet on either over or under a certain number of runs to be scored in the next ball (and not the entire over). If it's a Test match, remember that the probability of the next delivery being a dot ball is very high, and therefore choosing to bet on “under 1 run” will be much safer, but expect the odds to remain on the lower side.

Runs ball

How To Make Accurate Cricket Session Predictions

Making a cricket session prediction accurately is easier said than done, considering there are so many factors to look into, including player form and the teams' performances. Here are some cricket session tips to make your life easier should you wish to place pre-match or live cricket session bets.

1. Study Pitch & Weather Conditions

It's important to study the pitch and get the weather report for matchday, as these factors significantly impact the scoring rate of a team, which directly influences your session cricket bets.

For example, overcast conditions typically favour swing bowling, and similarly, a green and grassy top offers a lot of bounce, making it conducive to pace. A flat track, on the other hand, is perfect for the ball to come onto the bat nicely, while a dry and cracked surface will almost always assist spinners.

How do the weather and pitch conditions influence cricket match session prediction? Suppose India is taking on South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. The wicket has abundant grass cover on it, and along with that, the sky above appears overcast, both factors making it ideal for pace with good seam movement off the air. In such conditions, let's assume you are playing on 1xBet and you choose “yes” to the market ‘India to score over 60.5 runs during overs 11–20'. With the overcast conditions above and the green-top wicket helping the bowling team, this might as well end up being a losing bet.

2. Analyse Player & Team Form

Considering it is cricket session betting, it is vital that you analyse player form for the particular session you'd wish to bet on. For example, while Virat Kohli was the leading run-getter in the 2024 Indian Premier League, he maintained a below-average strike rate during the middle overs. Similarly, Kuldeep Yadav was one of the most economical bowlers and leading wicket-takers in the concluded IPL, but he was repeatedly smashed for runs in the powerplays.

How does this tip influence your cricket session prediction? Suppose it's an IPL match between CSK and RCB, where the Royal Challengers are batting, with Kohli and Dinesh Karthik at the crease, and the match is poised at 90/3 in 10 overs. You are on 20Bet and choose “no” to the live session market ‘over 12.5 runs to be scored in the next over”. Given the conditions in mind and how King Kohli likes to build his innings in the middle overs, this bet could well be a winner.

3. Know Session Timings

This cricket session tip is most relevant in the case of a five-day Test match. Generally, the batsmen play cautiously during the morning session, be it in India or elsewhere, and also at the beginning of a new session. Also, in India, Test match wickets tend to become slow from the fourth day onwards, making it conducive to spin.

How will this influence your live session cricket bet? Let's say India is playing England at home in a Test match; it's post-tea on the fourth day, and India is bowling in their second innings. The English middle-order batters are out there in the middle, and Kuldeep Yadav has the ball in his hand. In this kind of situation, you choose “no” to the market ‘over 7.5 runs to be scored in the next over'.

You've used your cricket session knowledge to your advantage here, as there's very little chance of the English batters actually getting more than 7.5 runs in an over given the overall match situation.

4. Individual Player Matchups

Player vs. Player

As an example, Ben Stokes has been dismissed 13 times in 17 Tests by Ravichandran Ashwin, while Sunil Narine has dismissed Rohit Sharma eight times in the IPL. Use these factoids to your benefit during cricket session betting.

Player vs. Team

There are many instances of a player performing exceptionally well or poorly against a particular team. Andre Russell, who is known for his hard-hitting prowess in the IPL, has struggled to score runs against the Mumbai Indians. Similarly, Travis Head has always performed well against India in ICC tournaments.

5. Stay on Top of Latest News & Historical Data

This point ties in with the earlier cricket betting session tips discussed above. The idea is to stay on top of player stats, team performances, and the latest news coming out of the teams' dressing rooms.

In this situation, top-class cricket apps and sites like Cricbuzz and ESPNcricinfo come in handy, especially when it comes to pre-match session bets. For instance, Shubman Gill was injured in a match, and it is not fully confirmed if he'll take the field in the next game. In such a scenario, it's better to steer clear of placing your bet on Gill in any market, as you might lose your stake if he doesn't feature in the playing XI.

6. Look for the Best Odds

Once you are done with cricket analysis, it's time to put the pedal to the metal. Search for the most competitive odds for your preferred session cricket bet and enter a stake according to your budget. You can check out some of the newest online betting sites in India and see whether they fit the bill.

If you're from Pakistan or Bangladesh, we suggest reading up on everything about the best cricket bookmakers in your country and place an educated wager.

Best Cricket Session Betting Sites

Considering the immense popularity of online cricket betting and the fact that punters want to explore far and beyond the traditional markets, leading INR bookmakers in India offer a raft of cricket session betting markets to inject extra options and jazz up your overall wagering experience.

In the section below, we discuss the top three such betting sites that we think make for ideal options if you wish to bet on cricket sessions:

1. Melbet

Melbet welcome offer

(Source: Melbet)

Melbet has been operating in India for more than a decade and provides a laundry list of both pre-match and in-play betting markets. Looking to bet on sessions for the first time? Melbet is arguably the most ideal platform to start with, courtesy of its vast number of betting options.

A unique session betting market on offer here is “total runs in an over (3 Ways)”. As the name implies, you get three options: “over” a certain number of runs to be scored, “under” a certain number of runs, or the exact runs to be scored in an over. The reason why this market caught our attention is that the majority of other betting sites give you only two options as part of this wager: either “over” or “under,” but never the exact number of runs.

Additionally, Melbet features some of the best accumulator outcomes and, importantly, offers a generous first deposit welcome bonus up to ₹40,000.

2. 10CRIC

10Cric Welcome Offer

(Source: 10CRIC)

10CRIC is renowned for its laser-sharp focus on cricket and Indian punters, evident from its broad coverage of almost every cricket league under the sun, acceptance of multiple India-specific payment methods, and competitive odds across matches.

A particular cricket session betting market here, which we thought was a fresh departure from other bookmakers, is “a team to hit a boundary and a 6 in the same over”.

The bookmaker also features over-by-over stats, which will come in tremendously handy when betting on cricket live. However, do note that unless you are logged in, you may not be able to access all the session markets.

3. Parimatch

Another established player on the market is Parimatch, which regularly provides multiple markets across matches and tournaments, especially for in-play betting. The bookie is arguably on par with Melbet and 10CRIC when it comes to offering the largest number of cricket session betting markets during high-profile tournaments like the Indian Premier League and World Cup.

Importantly, Parimatch provides perhaps the most distinct pre-match market called ‘lottery', wherein a combination of various events spread across several overs is given, and you will have to accurately predict if those events will pan out in those overs or not. For instance, in the overs 1, 2, 13, 24, 35, and 46, there will be a dot ball bowled, a single taken, and a boundary hit in each of these.

Naturally, the betting odds are generous on such markets, but the risk is high as well.

Do you know how to mitigate the risk factor when betting on sports online? The answer is through arbitrage betting, and you can learn more about the concept here.

CricketBettingAdvice Final Say

If you're a first-time bettor, chances are you might feel a little overwhelmed with betting on sessions, especially with so many markets offering competitive odds. A few cricket session betting tips that will hold you in good stead are: always make a calculated guess before placing your wager on a market like this, and, more importantly, stay informed with the latest match updates and news to keep your edge in the game.

Additionally, check out our comprehensive and insightful cricket betting guides from our team of cricket buffs for all the necessary resources you need to bet on the sport.

As always, bet responsibly.

Cricket Session Betting FAQs:

How many overs are there in a session of test cricket?

A session in Test cricket generally consists of 30 overs. However, it can be more or fewer than 30 overs, depending on how the bowling team utilises their time.

How many sessions are there in Test cricket?

There are three sessions in a day, which means the maximum number of sessions in a Test match can be 15. However, the number can be lower depending on weather conditions and how the teams play.

What does betting on sessions mean?

It refers to a particular duration of play, the outcomes of which you try to accurately predict and bet on. The number of runs to be scored in the first 10 overs is a prime example of a session in betting. Another such example is betting on the first 6-over period in T20s, also called the “powerplay” overs.

Is a session in a Test match different from a session in betting?

Yes, a session in Test cricket generally consists of 30 overs. However, a cricket session in betting can be as small as one over.

Further Reading

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  2. Sports Betting Terms Explained With Examples (2024) — Your Easy Betting Glossary Regardless of whether you've just started dabbling in online gambling...
  3. Top 20 Cricket Betting Sites in India (2024) Finding a legitimate betting site all by yourself means you...

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