Bowled Over By Love: Survey Reveals How Sports Can Spark Romance For Indian Singles

As the world gears up for the women’s cricket tournament this week, there’s more than just excitement brewing over sports. Bumble’s data reveals that shared passions, especially for sports, can be key to modern romance. Nearly 3 in 4 (72%) Indians would love going on a sports-related activity or event for a first date. And we’re about to see this play out with more than 3 in 4 (79%) of Indians keen to attend the upcoming women’s cricket on a date.

For the majority of Indians, cheering on your favorite team alongside a date, or discussing the upcoming games over drinks is the best way to date this season. On the app, there are more than 50 different sports badges and the top badges in India are cricket and football, so it comes as no surprise that more than half of Indians (61%) are specifically interested in cricket-related dates as we head into October.

Pracheta Mazumdar, Senior Marketing Manager, Bumble India, says,” With women cricket stars due to be in the spotlight over the next few weeks and a constant stream of sports documentaries, sports is taking a central role in dating today. Research from Bumble has shown that for 1 in 3 singles a shared love of sports is a ‘must have’, both as a player or spectator, and we already see that Indian singles are looking to bond over their favorite sport whether it’s going to an event, watching them together, or opting for active dates.

Shared interests are really important in a relationship, so if you are looking out for a new connection this sporting season, you can add your favorite sports badges to your profile – be it cricket, football, running, or padel – to help you find people that share your interest and could be your next MVP.”

An ice-breaker or deal breaker – sports as a relationship criterion

For some, a love of sports is not only an ice-breaker but can also be a dating dealbreaker. In the app’s latest survey, for 4 in 10 (44%) Indian people it would be a dealbreaker if someone they were romantically interested in didn’t have an interest in sports. It isn’t just “Do you love me?”, it’s now also “Do you love cricket?”.

For these sports fans, talking about or having a discussion about their team is a bonding moment, with people wanting to exchange sports tips, talk about their favorite athletes, and attend a match together. Nearly 3 in 4 (72%) Indians would love the idea of a sports-related activity or event for their first few dates.

Whether you’re celebrating a big win or facing defeat, single Indians are now looking for partners who can support, and celebrate through shared passions.

Interest in women’s sports – the new green flag?

With the growth of women’s sports in the mainstream, more female athletes are dominating global stages, and Millennial and GenZ women are now using this as a barometer to identify shared perspectives. For women in India, close to 4 in 5 (79%) women surveyed find that men who are interested in women’s sports are more attractive than someone who is not. The overwhelming majority of women (84%) also agree that making jokes or derogatory comments about professional women athletes is a turn-off, and could potentially end a budding romance. When it comes to cricket, 7 in 10 (73%) Indian women polled would go as far as to claim that they would rather date a man who’s interested in women’s cricket, over men’s cricket. Whether it’s watching a match or playing together, let’s face it, loving cricket or women’s sports might just be the new green flag.