IPL, Pro Kabaddi, Duleep Trophy Among Google India's Top Sports Searches In 2024

Indian Premier League, Pro Kabaddi League and Duleep Trophy were amongst the most-searched sports topics in India in 2024, according to Google's 'India’s Year in Search 2024' list released on Tuesday.

The list not only reflects the enthusiasm for cricket among Indian sports fans, but also points towards the growing popularity of kabaddi, football and other sports.

Here is the list of most searched sporting events:

In a nation committed to cricket, the Indian Premier League remained on the top of the most googled sporting events of the year. The 74-match tournament, which pitted 10 teams against each other, was rigorously followed by the fans.

Whether it was the 'Orange Army' or the 'Whistle Podu' fans, IPL enthusiasts were constantly on the lookout on Google for news and updates related to their favourite franchises.

India's dominance in the T20 World Cup, specially coming after the heartbreak in the 2023 One-Day International World Cup, caught the attention of netizens. It became the second most-searched sporting event in the country in 2024.

There was a climb in Google searches for the latest scores, player performances, and game predictions. The searches also spiked as India, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, ended up winning the tournament.

The 2024 Paris Olympics was one of the most-awaited tournaments of the year for sports fans globally. In India, it was third most-searched event, according to the list shared by Google.

From Neeraj Chopra's medal win to Vinesh Phogat's heart-breaking disqualification, Indians searched for live updates, medal counts, and athlete performances, making it amongst highly explored topic on Google.

Pro Kabaddi League, the 12-team tournament designed on lines of the IPL, has gaining viewership each year since its launch in 2014. Google has named it as the fourth most-searched sports event in India in 2024.

PKL is also viewed as a key force in the Indian sports industry, drawing millions of fans and significant investment. The annual tournament is expediting the growth in popularity of kabaddi, in a country where cricket has majorly captured the minds of sports fans since decades.

Introduced in 2013, the Indian Super League has had a transformative impact in promoting football amongst the youth in India. The league, which features 13 clubs, has been named as the fifth most-searched event of 2024 by Google.

The growing popularity of football in India has compelled scores of netizens to search more about the league, players, and match scores on Google.

Also, in June, one of the most prominent figures of the Indian football, Sunil Chhetri announced his retirement from the Indian national team. The announcement drew attention towards India's status as a football-playing nation, and in-turn also brought netizens' focus towards ISL.

"Mari chhori chhoro se kam hai ke"— the dialogue from a popular Bollywood movie highlights the growing presence of women in sports. Women's Premier League, designed on the lines of IPL, is a key example.

Veteran players like Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Harmanpreet Kaur are some of the top female Indian cricketers featuring in the tournament. According to Google, WPL was the sixth most-searched event of the year.

Copa America and European Football Championship remained one of the most searched football tournaments in India. Copa America ranked 7th, whereas Euro Cup took the 9th position in the trending list.

Lionel Messi-captained Argentina won their second consecutive Copa America title, securing a victory over Colombia in the final and Spain triumphed in the 17th edition of the 2024 Euro Cup, claiming a record fourth title with a 2-1 victory over England in the final.

Cricket has undoubtedly dominated the Google trending list, with the inclusion of events like IPL and WPL in the most-searched list. This also includes Duleep Trophy, ranked at the eighth spot, and Under-19 World Cup which secured the 10th place.

The Under-19 World Cup showcased the best emerging talent from the major cricket-playing nations. Australia emerged as the champions of the tournament defeating India by 79 runs in the finals.