It's the middle of an India vs Australia ODI in November. You've put ₹500 aside, opened an exchange site for the first time, and what loads is a column of numbers that reads like a sabzi mandi board — 1.42, 2.84, back, lay, session. You close the tab. You decide cricket betting is for people who already knew before they opened the site.
It isn't. Every number on that screen is one of five things, and once you can name them, the screen calms down.
Take this as a walkthrough. Registration first, then choosing a match, reading odds, placing a bet, and withdrawing winnings into the same UPI account your salary lands in. Session betting earns its own section because it's the format most Indian punters actually search for, and most beginner guides skip past it.
Step 1: Register an account
Cricket betting in India starts with a real account on a real platform. Take 1Win Exchange as the example here — the same shape applies to most operators.
The sign-up screen wants four things: an email or mobile number, a password, your date of birth, and a currency selection. Choose INR. The OTP arrives by SMS, and once you confirm it you're inside the lobby.
Two notes before you go further. Set a bankroll cap before you fund the account, not after — open a fresh UPI mandate or a separate savings sub-account if it helps. And complete KYC now rather than at the moment you're trying to withdraw. KYC on 1Win Exchange accepts a government ID — PAN, Aadhaar, voter ID, or passport — plus an address proof if your registered address isn't on the ID, and a live selfie or short video at the verification step. The first deposit minimum on 1Win Exchange is ₹500 via UPI, PhonePe, Paytm, GPay, or IMPS (₹1,000 via Net Banking).
Step 2: Pick a cricket match in the lobby
The lobby shows you everything live and everything coming up. For a beginner the right filter is "cricket → international" so you don't get lost inside a list of franchise league fixtures you've never followed.
Say it's India vs Australia, third ODI of a five-match series, 1:30 pm IST. You click the fixture and a market list opens: Match Winner, Top Batsman, Top Bowler, Method of Dismissal, Sessions, Fall of Wickets. The number next to each market is the count of active price lines inside it. A new bettor doesn't need all of them. Start with Match Winner.
Step 3: Read cricket betting odds
Indian sites display odds in decimal format. The decimal is the multiplier on a winning stake, including the stake itself.
A ₹100 bet at 1.85 returns ₹185 if it wins — your original ₹100 back plus ₹85 of profit. The same ₹100 at 2.50 returns ₹250 — ₹100 back plus ₹150 profit. Lower number, lower risk in the bookmaker's view; higher number, longer odds.
If the platform is an exchange (1Win Exchange is one), each market also shows back and lay sides. Back means you're betting the outcome to happen — back India at 1.85 means you win if India wins. Lay means you're betting against it — lay Australia at 2.30 means you win if Australia doesn't win, and you put up the liability if they do. Most beginner guides over-explain lay betting. Hold off on it. For your first month, stay on the back side; the exchange behaves like a normal bookmaker from that seat.
Step 4: Place your first bet
Click the price you want and a bet slip opens on the right of the screen.
The slip asks for stake. Type ₹500. The slip auto-computes the return — ₹500 at 1.85 returns ₹925 (₹425 profit) if the bet wins, ₹0 if it doesn't. Hit "place bet" and the stake leaves your wallet immediately.
Two beginner mistakes to skip past on the first one.
Don't chase. If India loses, your ₹500 is gone, and the right next move is to close the tab — not to find a market on the next match to "make it back". Bankroll discipline beats prediction.
Don't stake what isn't already inside the betting account. If you have to top up the wallet to place the bet, the bet is too big.
Step 5: Session betting — the part most guides skip
This is the section most beginner guides skip, and it's the one Indian punters actually want.
Session betting is a wager on the runs scored inside a defined chunk of the innings — the first ten overs of an innings, the first six, the next four from a stated point. The market sets a number (a "line"), and you bet over or under it.
An example. India is batting first against Australia. Twenty minutes in, the operator opens a session market: "India 1st innings, first 10 overs — runs over/under 64.5". If you think the openers will push, you take over 64.5. If you think Starc is going to keep them quiet, you take under. The market settles at the end of the tenth over. You don't need the match result to win — you need the runs in those ten overs.
Two reasons Indian bettors search for sessions specifically.
The format is fast. A T20 session settles in twenty minutes. An ODI session settles in under an hour. You don't have to sit through 50 overs to find out whether your read was right.
The format also lets you re-enter. If your first session goes against you, the next session is right there with a new line. That's a feature on a slow Test day; it's also the part that turns into a hole if you're not paying attention. Set a cap on sessions per match before the toss.
Step 6: Withdraw your winnings
The withdrawal screen sits inside the wallet menu. Select INR, choose a method (UPI is fastest for most users; PhonePe, Paytm, GPay, and Net Banking are also listed), and enter an amount.
A few mechanics that catch new users out:
- KYC has to be complete before the first withdrawal lands. If you skipped it at sign-up, the first withdrawal is when the platform will ask.
- The withdrawal account has to match the deposit account in name. You can't fund the bet from your account and withdraw to your cousin's.
- The minimum withdrawal on 1Win Exchange is ₹500 on UPI and IMPS (₹1,000 on Net Banking / NEFT). UPI withdrawals are processed within 15–60 minutes during business hours; IMPS takes 1–4 hours; Net Banking / NEFT settles same business day if requested before 4 PM IST.
If a withdrawal stalls beyond the stated window, the platform's in-app chat support is the right channel — not a public review site. Have your transaction ID ready.
A word on bonuses and bankroll
You'll see a welcome bonus advertised. On 1Win Exchange the headline is a 500% deposit match up to ₹80,400 on your first deposit — the full terms are on the 1Win India bonuses page. Worth claiming if you were already going to deposit and play — not a reason to deposit more than you'd planned. Welcome bonuses come with wagering rollover, which means the bonus has to be cycled through bets before it converts to withdrawable cash.
For a complete breakdown of all available markets once you're inside the platform, see our cricket betting India guide — it covers session betting depth, IPL markets, and how the exchange order book works.
FAQs
Is online cricket betting legal in India?
India's PROG Rules (effective 1 May 2026) prohibit Indian residents from accessing offshore real-money gaming and betting platforms. 1Win Exchange operates under a valid online gaming licence. Check your local position before depositing or playing for real money.
Do I need PAN and Aadhaar to bet on cricket online?
You need a government ID and an address proof. On 1Win Exchange, the accepted ID list is PAN, Aadhaar, voter ID, or passport — any one of those is enough, plus an address proof if your registered address isn't on the ID, and a live selfie or short video at the verification step. You can sign up and fund a small deposit without it on some platforms, but withdrawals will not process until KYC clears.
What is session betting and how is it different from match betting?
Match betting is a single wager on the overall result of a match. Session betting is a wager on the runs scored inside a defined chunk of an innings — typically a fixed number of overs from a stated point. Sessions settle inside the innings, often in twenty minutes to an hour, instead of waiting for the final result.
What is the smallest bet I can place on a cricket match?
Minimum stake on a cricket market is operator-set and is typically far smaller than the minimum deposit. On 1Win Exchange the minimum deposit is ₹500 on UPI rails (₹1,000 on Net Banking), but individual stake minimums on most cricket markets sit in the ₹10–₹100 range.
How fast does a UPI withdrawal land in my account?
UPI is the fastest withdrawal rail on most Indian-facing platforms. On 1Win Exchange, UPI withdrawals are typically processed within 15–60 minutes during business hours. A first withdrawal is usually slower because KYC verification runs at the same time.
