Poornima Swaminathan & Joe Williams

Mumbai: The bookies have given their verdict for the big clash between traditional arch rivals India and Pakistan to be played in Johannesburg in South Africa on Monday. According to the bookies, team India are the favourites to win the first ever Twenty20 World Cup.

The odds are placed in India’s favour with the bets placed at 90 paise for an India win while Pakistan is placed at 15 paise. “After India’s win against Pakistan through a bowl-out in the league matches, they clearly emerge as favourites,” said a bookie.

Bets worth more than Rs 1000 crore have been placed across major cities such as Mumbai, Jaipur, Indore and Ahmedabad.

It is the result which which many are betting on and the amount at is up to about Rs 300 crore. But the actual betting starts from the time the captains go for the toss. “We have so far received Rs 50 crore on the toss, and most of them want India to win the toss, Rs 40 crore is in favour of India and just Rs 10 crore for Pakistan,” says a bookie in the city.

The followers of the game want India to win the toss and bat. Rs 50 crore has already been invested on this. Like wise, there are other quarters wherein the money has flown in, adds the bookie. Other categories were the betting is done are: who will hit the maximum sixes, the highest wicket taker, the top scorer of the final, the highest opening partnership, and the team to score the maximum runs in the first 10 overs. Yuvraj Singh has drawn a whopping Rs 25 crore to hit the most sixes in the summit clash.

India were placed at 1:7 when the tournament kicked off while Pakistan were at 1:11. But the bookies have made their money much before the final as the favourites — Australia and South Africa — are out of the tournament.