Hyderabad: Mumbai Indian backers score big wins

Hyderabad: Shrewd punters made a bundle after Mumbai Indians won the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League over Rising Pune Supergiant at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Sunday.

Betting rings were offering 2.5 for a Rising Pune Supergiant win, meaning those who bet on the team would win Rs 250 on every wager of Rs 100. The rate for Mumbai Indians was 3.75 — and the winners made Rs 375 on every 100 that they bet.

Apart from bets on who would be the winner, bets were placed on batsman would score more than 50. The money rode on Pune captain Steven Smith and Hardik Pandya of Mumbai Indians.

Very few vehicles were seen on Uppal road during the telecast of the IPL final match that was being played in the city on Sunday. (Photo: DC)

Among the bowlers, bookies said bets were placed on every over. MI bowler Karn Sharma and RPS’ Jaydev Unadkat were the favourites of punters.“In the earlier matches, the odds were always stacked against weaker team. Since there are higher risks associated with putting money on a weaker team and the returns are much higher,  some punters take that risk. Having won all three encounters in this season of the Indian Premier League, RPS had a huge advantage over MI. Many are throwing in money for that team,” a bookie from the city said on the condition of anonymity.

There are two kinds of punters.  The first bet on the result of the match by picking the team to place their money on. The other group bets on the outcome of single overs, six overs, and 10 overs. “They put money on how many runs will be scored in an over, or in six overs,” a senior official of the Commissioner’s  Task Force said. Others place bets on the total runs a team would make.

The punters also place bet on the score of each main batsman. “These bets can be placed even after the match begins. Most bookies in Hyderabad don’t accept bets of less than Rs 1,000, sources said. Those who target students, would accept Rs 500 bets also.

The bets on the match winner starts from Rs 5,000 and runs into several thousands and, in some cases, lakhs of rupees. The bookie gets his profit from those who lose money, a police official said.

Away from the world of bookies and punters, the city settled down to watch the final at the stadium, in sports lounges and pubs and at homes and the roads were emptier than a usual summer Sunday.

At many of the city’s watering holes, the crowds started flooding in after the first innings of the match when Mumbai scored what looked like an indefensible 129.