India has a history of sports dating back to the Vedic period, with Western sports having been imported during British rule. Cricket is the most popular sport in India, enjoyed across the country, but especially popular in the northern, western, and central regions. Football is the second most popular sport, with strong following in northeast, Jammu and Kashmir in the north and along the coastal belt in states like West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa. Kabaddi is the third most popular, followed by field hockey and badminton. Cricket, football and kabaddi have a fanbase of 612 million, 305 million and 208 million people, respectively. This means approx 42% of the population follows cricket, 21% follows football and 14% follows kabaddi.
Cricket generates the highest television viewership, with the Indian Premier League being the most-followed sports league in the country. India's national cricket teams are among the most successful in the world. The men's team has won two ODI World Cups, two T20 World Cups and three Champions Trophies. The women's team has also won the ODI World Cup and a silver at the Commonwealth Games.
