5 best alternatives to EA Cricket for Indian cricket lovers

The IPL season is here and with that, cricket fever has returned to the country in its most viral form.

The cricket fever is part of every aspect of an IPL-following fan’s life who becomes an avid fantasy player with his friends, plays games on mobile phones and the IPL channel is the only one that is played at home.

For Indian gamers, however, there is a dearth of cricket-based games. We list out a few games for those in need of a dose of cricket gaming to supplement their cricket fever.

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#1 Real Cricket Premier League

Real Cricket allows you to play with your favourite IPL superstars

This game, released by Nautilius Mobile on Android and iOS platforms, can be downloaded and allows users to play the game on-the-go.

Real Cricket features all the eight IPL city teams, but not in their official form as the game is not produced under official license by the IPL. The team names might be different but the player names are similar. It is an absorbing game, not least due to the introduction of the commentary feature in the game which makes it all the more authentic.

The game only takes up 135MB of space once downloaded with the advantage on the phone being that one can play it anywhere regardless of location or consoles like the Playstation or Xbox.

#2 Don Bradman Cricket 2014

Don Bradman Cricket is one of the best-selling cricket games of all-time

Don Bradman Cricket is one of the best-selling cricket games of all time with the 2014 edition being one of the best releases in the series. It features realistic animation and player statistics, but player names are also not real as the game does not have a license from the cricket boards.

All the updated rules of cricket are included in this version with added features like HawkEye, decision reviews, 3^rd Umpire and authentic camera angles. It also allows for a career mode where you start from scratch with an individual player and grow in the game.

This game is only available on PC and consoles and another requirement is that a gamepad is required to play this game. The controls might be a little complex for a newbie and take time getting used to. Otherwise, the game is a great cricketing experience and probably one of the best cricket related releases ever.

#3 Cricket Captain 2013

Cricket Captian allows you to manage your own cricket team

This game is for those that love the analytical side of the game which involves tactics and strategies. The defining feature of this release is that it is not possible to play the game but only manage it. The player has control over selecting personnel, allocating budgets, coaching tactics and undertaking all the other intricacies that come with captaining a cricket team.

The goal of the game is to win as many matches as possible and what seals the deal is that the game is licensed and all the players have real names. The games makers, Childish Things Inc, have promised an updated version this year which should be out in a few months.

#4 Brian Lara Cricket 2007

This was the last release in the long lasting Brian Lara cricket series

Brian Lara Cricket 2007 was the last release by Codemasters before they launched their Ashes version in 2009. The successor to Brian Lara International Cricket 2005, this game was released in time to capitalise on cricket fever during the 2007 World Cup and was released with the name Yuvraj Singh International Cricket 2007 in India.

This was the first cricket game to ever be released in full-screen HD with its release on the Xbox, and the game includes various graphical and gameplay improvements. Brian Lara Cricket allows users to change analog direction while batting while also giving the player the liberty to hit in any desired direction, a welcome change from previous instalments.

The game is still relevant as it was state of the art back then and can be a fun pastime while waiting for your IPL team to start playing.

#5 International Cricket 2010

International Cricket 2010 was the first cricket game to be released in HD

Probably the best cricketing game of all time, this release by Codemasters was a superhit amongst cricket fans. With great graphics for its time along with five licensed commentators, playing the game is an absorbing experience. It features easy controls, better and authentic looking stadiums and all possible types of matches.

The only drawback to this game would be the lack of a career mode, the absence of domestic tournaments and fake player names due to the game not being licensed. Also, the game was launched in 2010 and will feature slightly outdated squads.