1xBet launches Indian League Carnival tournament with ₹1 crore prize pool for IPL 2025
The new season of the Indian Premier League 2025 is set to be one of the most exciting in cricket history. The player auction broke several historical records, and the bookmaker 1xBet announced the start of the Indian League Carnival sports tournament with a record prize pool of ₹1 crore for IPL 2025.
The IPL 2025 season will occur from March 21 to May 25, with 74 matches. The current champion, Kolkata Knight Riders, will defend their title against the top teams in India.
The player auction took place from November 24 to 25, 2024. For the first time in Indian cricket history, it was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, highlighting the growing global popularity and12.02.2025 the IPL expansion beyond India.
In two days of bidding, several big transfers were made that broke all records: Shreyas Iyer joined Punjab Kings for a record ₹26.75 crore and was appointed team captain. Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history after being bought by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27.00 crore. Venkatesh Iyer returned to Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹23.75 crore, completing the top 3 most expensive players of the season.
Another record at the IPL 2025 auction is related to a player’s age. Rajasthan Royals signed the youngest athlete in the league’s history – 13-year-old batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi for ₹1.10 crore. If he has a successful debut, his value will surely rise significantly. This move has opened new opportunities for young talent and added intrigue to the upcoming season.
It is also worth noting that Heinrich Klaasen, the brand ambassador of 1xBet, became the most expensive player on retainer, breaking Virat Kohli’s record. Before the IPL 2025 started, the Sunrisers Hyderabad decided to rely on a new star, paying a record ₹23 crore for Heinrich Klaasen to stay.
Cricket fans worldwide are clearly in for one of the brightest tournaments in history. Thanks to record contracts, teams have strengthened their squads with top national and international players, making IPL 2025 even more popular. The young talents’ participation in professional matches guarantees unpredictable and intense competition throughout the tournament, while also opening new prospects for the future of cricket.
In the upcoming IPL 2025 cricket season, the bookmaker is launching the Indian League Carnival sports tournament with a record prize pool of ₹1 crore in real money. The tournament will occur from March 21 to May 25, and will consist of 7 stages, giving participants more chances to win.
To take part in the promo, place a bet of at least ₹250 with odds of 1.4 or higher on any Indian Premier League 2025 match.
Participants in the Indian League Carnival tournament who make it to the 7th stage will take home the main prizes.
At each stage, players can win cash prizes ranging from ₹2,900 to ₹29,000, based on their position in the standings. The money earned in the Indian League Carnival tournament can be withdrawn at any time as it doesn’t require wagering.
In addition to cash prizes, competitors in the Indian League Carnival will receive guaranteed free bets and bonus points at each tournament level. A total of ₹1,486,000 bonus points and free bets worth ₹72,000 will be up for grabs. Bonus points can be exchanged for free bets, free spins, and other promo offers on the platform.
All the tournament players are guaranteed to move up the standings and receive prizes through risk-free bets placed during this period. Whether a bet wins or not, its amount will be counted.
This tournament will be the season’s biggest campaign, supported by outstanding IPL cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Heinrich Klaasen, who are brand ambassadors for 1xBet. Users will be able to see them in the tournament promo.
Users who register on the 1xBet platform for the first time during IPL 2025, from March 21 to May 25, will receive a guaranteed 300% welcome bonus. This offer is valid for all newcomers with a minimum deposit of 200 INR to a maximum of 50,000 INR.
More than 3,500 users of the 1xBet platform and followers of the brand’s Instagram page took part in the survey. Respondents shared in detail which players and teams they will support in IPL 2025. The study identified key factors for support, as well as the geographical and age preferences of fans for specific players and teams.
According to a survey of Indian cricket fans, 13 players of IPL 2025 were identified as those who can expect the most fan support:
- Virat Kohli (27,4%).
- Rohit Sharma (12,4%) and MS Dhoni (12,4%).
- Abhishek Sharma (11,1%).
- Jasprit Bumrah (4,3%).
- Yashasvi Jaiswal (4,2%).
- Hardik Pandya (4,0%).
- Rishabh Pant (2,9%).
- KL Rahul (2,5%).
- Heinrich Klaasen and Suryakumar Yadav (2,4%).
- Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill (2,3%).
The top spot in the ranking, with a huge lead over the nearest competitor, went to the GOAT of Indian cricket, Virat “The Legend” Kohli, who plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. More than a quarter of respondents – 27.4% – voted for the former national team’s captain, who became the top scorer of IPL 2024. Fans highlight his perfect technique, aggressive playing style, as well as his charisma and champion mentality. Most votes for Virat Kohli came from respondents aged 25-34 (46.8%), followed by fans aged 20-24 (33.1%). He was also the only player to receive recognition from the oldest age group, 60+ (0.62%). Virat Kohli is popular across India, but he received the most votes in Karnataka (12%), Andhra Pradesh (11.3%), Uttar Pradesh (11%), Telangana (9.7%), and Maharashtra (7.2%).
In 2nd place in the ranking, Rohit Sharma from Mumbai Indians held the position until the very end of the survey, but at the finish, he was caught by the legendary MS Dhoni from Chennai Super Kings. In the end, the two shared 2nd place with an identical support result of 12.4%.
Rohit “Hitman” Sharma is the embodiment of strength and leadership, as well as a symbol of the champion mindset and India’s international success. He is rightfully considered one of the world’s best opening batsmen, capable of playing effectively against any kind of delivery. Under his captaincy, Mumbai Indians won 5 IPL trophies, and the national team won the T20 World Cup. During the survey, the majority of votes for the player came from the core audience aged 25-34 (48.9%), while the younger audience of 20-24 voted noticeably less (29.4%). Rohit Sharma has the most fans in Maharashtra (12.9%). He is also supported in Karnataka (9%), Uttar Pradesh (9%), Andhra Pradesh (8.6%), Bihar (8.2%), and Telangana (7.3%).
Mahendra “Thala” Singh Dhoni is a bright representation of an entire generation of cricket. The player is associated with calmness, guidance, and game intelligence. MS Dhoni is considered the best captain in cricket history, as it was under his leadership that the Indian team and Chennai Super Kings won many trophies. According to some reports, the player is having his final season in the IPL, so fans will watch his game with special attention. In the survey, “Thala” received votes from the two most active audience groups: 25-34 years (45.25%) and 20-24 years (35.75%). MS Dhoni has the most fans in Andhra Pradesh (16%), Uttar Pradesh (11.8%), and Telangana (10.9%).
Ranked 3rd is the new star of aggressive cricket, Abhishek Sharma from Sunrisers Hyderabad. Over 10% of respondents believe he is the future of Indian cricket. He is chosen for his relentless aggression in attack, technical skill, and impressive physical condition. Abhishek Sharma is one of the most dangerous opening batsmen, putting pressure on the opponent from the very 1st delivery. He is young, bold, and already playing at the level of the best, so IPL 2025 could be a breakthrough season for him.
Next in the ranking is a close group of three players, each with around 4% – the living legend Jasprit Bumrah, versatile all-rounder Hardik Pandya (both from Mumbai Indians), and top player of the new generation Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals).
The recent move from Delhi Capitals to Lucknow Super Giants didn’t stop Rishabh Pant from taking 8th place in the ranking with nearly 3% support. Heading in the opposite direction is KL Rahul, ranked 7th (2.5%), who was the captain of Lucknow Super Giants for two years and will now wear the Delhi Capitals jersey in the new season.
Tied for 9th place in the ranking are 1xBet brand ambassador Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians), both with 2.4% support. In 10th place are Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals) and Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans), with a similar support of 2.3%. Among this group, it’s worth highlighting the bright international cricket star, South African Heinrich Klaasen. He is rightfully considered one of the most dangerous hitters in modern cricket – his powerful shots can change the course of a match in just a few minutes. Additionally, Klaasen is not afraid of responsibility and often pulls his team out of difficult situations, demonstrating leadership and calmness. These qualities are appreciated by both fans and the international brand 1xBet, which made him its ambassador.
The IPL 2025 teams with the most fan support
Participants in the 1xBet survey were also asked to name the teams they would support in the IPL 2025 season. As a result, the following top five winners were determined:
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (28,5%).
- Mumbai Indians (21,6%).
- Chennai Super Kings (20,4%).
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (10,3%).
- Kolkata Knight Riders (6,4%).
In 1st place in the ranking, with 28.5% support, are Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by the star of modern cricket, Virat Kohli. In the last five IPL seasons, the team has reached the playoffs four times, and its fans believe that in the upcoming season, the team will finally be able to win its 1st title.
In 2nd place, with 21.6% support, are the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians. This result is quite expected, as four players from this team feature in our ranking of the most popular cricketers: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav. Cricket fans primarily highlight the team’s history, having featured many legendary players, as well as the strong current lineup, which is capable of winning for the 6th time.
Rounding out the top 3 most popular teams are Chennai Super Kings (20.4%), featuring another living cricket legend, MS “Thala” Dhoni. In the last four IPL seasons, the team became champion in 2021 and 2023, and fans are hopeful that 2025 will also be a successful year for the Kings.
In 4th place, with 10.3% support from respondents, are Sunrisers Hyderabad. Last year, the team fell just one step short of their 3d title. Fans are hopeful that the thoughtful strategy of captain Pat Cummins, as well as the balance of youth and experience in the squad, will help improve on last year’s result.
Rounding out the top 5 are the current champions, Kolkata Knight Riders. The team is owned by the “King of Bollywood” Shah Rukh Khan, who has managed to attract a massive army of loyal fans to KKR’s matches.
The most awaited game of the IPL 2025 season is between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, with 27.5% of respondents eager to see these two teams face off, especially if it’s in the final. Close behind are the cricket fans from Mumbai, with the 2nd most anticipated match being Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings at 20%, and 3rd is Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru with 6.87%.
The study results show that the most support from fans goes to charismatic players with a bright playing style, as well as successful clubs with large fan bases. In India, support for home teams is traditionally strong, so local clubs tend to receive more votes in their respective regions. The same trend is observed concerning fan age – young audiences are more likely to support young players, while older fans cheer for experienced athletes. Exceptions to this rule are legendary players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni, who are equally supported by fans of all ages and from all regions of India.
