Ask most Indians about sport and the conversation turns to cricket within seconds. That has not changed. What has changed is the list of other sports people follow on the side. Streaming, social media and a handful of breakout Indian athletes have pulled new audiences towards games that barely registered a decade ago.
You can see it in Instagram bios, in the jerseys people wear to college and in the highlight clips that travel through group chats. Cricket still leads, but it now shares the stage.
Tennis
Tennis has always had a following in Indian cities, and streaming has widened it. Grand slam nights now pull in younger viewers who grew up on highlight clips, and the rivalries at the top of the men’s and women’s game give fans storylines to follow from one tournament to the next. Many fans pick a favourite player early in the season and follow every result.
Basketball
The NBA’s reach in India is bigger than most people realise. Morning games fit before college or work, and highlight packages spread fast on social media. Sneaker culture and jersey fashion have helped as well. For a lot of young fans, basketball works as much as a style as a sport, and their bios often show it.
Mixed Martial Arts
MMA has built a loud fanbase, helped by Indian fighters breaking into international promotions. Fight nights suit mobile viewing because the main events are short, dramatic and easy to clip. Fans share knockouts within minutes, and debates about rankings run for days afterwards.
Kabaddi fans often find MMA easy to get into. Both sports reward strength, timing and quick decisions in close contact, and some supporters follow both with the same intensity.
Esports
Competitive gaming has become one of the most followed “sports” among Indians under 25. Mobile titles dominate, and tournaments featuring Indian teams draw huge live audiences on YouTube. For many young fans, esports players are as recognisable as cricketers, and gaming usernames carry as much pride as a team badge.
Esports also crosses over with other parts of youth culture. Streamers run their own merchandise lines, and tournament finals often feature music performances and celebrity guests, which helps the events reach people who do not play the games themselves.
Badminton, Javelin and the Olympic Effect
India’s medals and finals in badminton and athletics have created fans almost overnight. Neeraj Chopra’s javelin gold at the Tokyo Olympics sent interest in the sport soaring, and badminton supporters follow Indian players across the world tour. These sports spike around major events and keep a loyal core in between.
Chess
Chess has turned into a genuine spectator sport in India. D. Gukesh becoming world champion in 2024 put the game on news channels, and online streams of top tournaments now draw young Indian audiences in large numbers. Teenage grandmasters have become role models, and chess clubs in cities report rising membership.
Formula 1
Formula 1 grew in India mostly through streaming and a hit documentary series that turned drivers into personalities. Race weekends fall at awkward hours for Indian viewers, but fans still stay up, pick a favourite team and argue about strategy calls the next morning.
How Fans Follow These Sports
Fans of smaller sports tend to follow them differently from cricket. Most of them:
- Watch through streaming apps rather than television
- Get news and highlights from social media accounts
- Join online communities and Discord servers to discuss matches
- Follow individual athletes more closely than teams
Plenty also check sportsbook markets to see how a match is expected to go, since odds give a quick read on the favourite in a sport they know less about. Dafabet covers a range of sports beyond cricket, including tennis and basketball, which shows how far the Indian market has moved from a cricket-only focus.
Why the Shift Matters
India will always be a cricket country first. A growing audience now has a second or third favourite sport, though, and that changes what people watch, wear and post about. For brands, broadcasters and fans, the sports outside cricket have moved from the margins into the everyday conversation, especially online.
So the next time you update your bio, the sport in it might not be cricket at all. For a lot of young Indians, it already is not.
