New Delhi, March 23 -- India's love for cricket has always been apparent, and the game is now larger than the entire sports industry was just a year ago. Despite real-money gaming companies pulling out of advertising, India's sports economy crossed the $2 billion mark in 2025, growing at a healthy 13.4% year-on-year to Rs.18,864 crore, according to a new report, Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy, released by global media investment company WPP Media.

The sports industry, led by cricket, has doubled over the past four years, rising from Rs.9,530 crore in 2021. The maturity in the cricketing ecosystem has scaled to its commercial heights, said the report, as cricket continues to dominate the entire sporting arena, contributing Rs.16,704 c...