Best Cricket Games

Key Takeaways

• Stick Cricket Super League is a casual, customizable game ideal for beginners.
• Cricket 97 is a childhood classic with dynamic gameplay and real cricketer commentators.
• Don Bradman Cricket 17 offers realistic gameplay with personalization and teamwork features.

Cricket is one of the most popular sports worldwide. Sure, it might not get the same level of hype everywhere as it does in places like England, Australia, or South Asia, but that doesn’t mean it’s not loved all over. It’s a shame though, that despite the buzz surrounding the sport itself, there aren’t many video games that truly capture the essence of cricket as they should.

That said, there are certain franchises and game-developing studios — pretty famous ones — that keep the virtual cricket scene active by continuously coming up with some exceedingly amazing video games centered around the sport. Some of these have seen legendary status in the cricket community, and despite their old age, are still just as active as their more modern counterparts. So, whether these games are a hit or miss — or more appropriately, a six or an out — there are still some pretty good video games that fully encapsulate the feeling of playing a massive sports game from the comfort of a computer screen.

Updated on December 3rd, 2024, by Fatima Naeem: The thing about cricket is, it’s a uniquely compelling sport. Playing it outdoors with a group of people is thrilling, but for true fans, it’s just not enough. Real enthusiasts want cricket to be a consistent part of their lives, and that’s where video games come in. While there aren’t many games that capture the full complexity and diversity of the sport, the ones that do showcase its excitement and strategic depth and bring cricket to life in a whole new way.

10 Stick Cricket Super League

Casual Cricket Sim Perfect For Beginners

• Developers: Stick Sports
• Released: 2016
• Platform: Android, iOS

Stick Sports is a small indie studio known for creating fun, laid-back sports games, covering everything from cricket and football to tennis and even street racing. They’ve built a reputation for their humorous and casual takes on sports, making their games ideal for a fun, low-pressure experience. Despite their simple look, their cricket games actually play like proper video games and offer a surprisingly thorough experience with the myriad of options they offer.

Their most famous cricket game, Stick Cricket Super League, is essentially just a casual portrayal of the ICC Super League tournament. The game allows players to fully customize their stick characters — from their appearance to their outfits — and select a favorite team to manage. Players can handpick their squad, assign roles, and even handle the toss, giving them full control over how their team performs on the field.

9 Cricket 97

One Of The Older Cricket Games On The List

• Developers: Beam Software
• Released: 1997
• Platform: MS-DOS, Windows

Cricket 97 is a childhood classic for many cricket fans. Because it is an old game, and cricket as a sport is fairly niche as compared to some other sports, the game does have its limitations on what it offers. Despite that, its nostalgia factor for so many cricket fans breaks the scale and puts it on top of the list for a lot of them.

For a game made in 1997, it was pretty dynamic for its time. Sure, it had the good ol’ batting and bowling mechanics like every other cricket game, but it also had actual famous cricketers as commentators. The game had an Ashes Tour version that was slightly more advanced in terms of its non-gameplay features and had real-life aspects in it, including players, pictures, and scores.

8 Don Bradman Cricket 14

Big Ant Studios’ Official Breakthrough Into The Cricket World

• Developers: Big Ant Studios
• Released: 2014
• Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Don Bradman Cricket 14 is a 2014 cricket game that was released around the same time Ashes Cricket 13 was released. The game was considered to be way ahead of its time for being a cricket game and had introduced so many new features in the gameplay that just made sense.

Don Bradman Cricket 14 features multiple modes and a wide range of customization options for the players. Players can even create entire stories for their characters that start off with them being novice 16-year-old players to professional cricketers. There’s a Cricket Academy mode that lets players play around with teams and practice nets. Additionally, it has a feature that allows players to review their own play against the umpire’s decision.

7 Don Bradman Cricket 17

Big Ant Studios’ Second Cricket Game That Received Plenty Of Traction

• Developers: Big Ant Studios
• Released: 2016
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Big Ant Studios is a big name in the sports gaming world, especially in cricket, where they’ve earned a dedicated following among international cricket fans. Their Don Bradman series, based on the legendary Australian batsman of the same name, was the first of many successful cricket sims they were going to come up with in the future.

Don Bradman Cricket 17 is a sequel to the original Don Bradman Cricket 14 that noticeably enhances its predecessor’s gameplay and mechanics. It’s a fairly dynamic sports sim with multiple personalization options and playing mechanics that make it stand out in the genre. The game features a highly “realistic” camera, (that looks oddly similar to helicopter snaps) that can easily be controlled and played around with. It also has a spot-on team selection system that feels fairly close to the real deal, and even lets players design and build their own stadiums.

6 Brian Lara International Cricket 2007

A Classic Oldie

• Developers: Codemasters
• Released: 2007
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360

Brian Lara International Cricket 2007, developed and released by Codemasters, is a classic cricket sim that gained significant popularity when it first launched. The game, like the previous installments, was released during the 2007 cricket World Cup and was named after the legendary Trinidadian batsman, Brian Lara (although the game had different names in different regions).

Despite being old and non-mainstream, Brian Lara International Cricket held multiple features that were way ahead of its time. It offered various official cricket modes, such as T20 matches, ODIs, and Test matches, and even featured a net practice mode. It also offered an extensive tutorial session and the ability to perform sweep shots (something that wasn’t available in the previous installments). However, the most innovative aspect of this game that made it stand out was the fact that it also had an online mode where players could play against others over the internet. PvP in an old cricket game was pretty advanced for a 2007 sports sim.

5 Cricket 22

Game-changing Title That Redefined The Future Of Cricket Sims

• Developers: Big Ant Studios
• Released: 2021
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

Cricket 22 is the official “mascot” game for the 2021 Ashes Series between England and Australia. It’s a sequel to Cricket 19, and because being relatively new, is far more advanced in terms of graphics and gameplay compared to older titles. While the Ashes Series is the front and center of it, the game also features other major tournaments like the Big Bash T20, The Hundred, and the Caribbean Premier League. Additionally, the game is officially licensed and incorporates all sorts of famous cricketers from all over the world, representing both men’s and women’s teams.

Cricket 22 goes beyond being just a sports sim with how immersive it is with its gameplay. It not only represents cricket in a highly authentic manner, but it also allows players to go on their personal journeys and career paths, complete with press conferences, training, and even handling injuries. The gameplay shines with its precise controls and high stakes and effectively replicates an actual cricket match. With the massive amount of options and mechanics it offers, players have the opportunity to bring their real-life cricket style into the game. With driving commentary, great graphics, and tons of different playstyles, Cricket 22 is easily one of the best cricket games out there right now.

4 Brian Lara Cricket

First Game In The Brian Lara Cricket Series

• Developers: Audiogenic
• Released: 1994
• Platform: PC, Sega Mega Drive, DOS, Amiga

Brian Lara Cricket was the first installment of the series that was endorsed by the legendary cricketer himself. Despite its age, it remains one of the most popular cricket games on this list. It has multiple versions and all of them have some sort of achievement in terms of popularity and charting (very fitting for a cricket game).

Brian Lara Cricket was way ahead of its time. It had 3D-like graphics and advanced sounds that made it so much better than some other games of the era. It even featured multiple playable modes, real players who could be added to teams, dynamic bowling mechanics, and unique fielding modes, which made it a very “all-rounded” experience — no pun intended.

3 Ashes Cricket (2017)

A True-to-Life Ashes Series Experience

• Developers: Big Ant Studios
• Released: 2017
• Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

Ashes Cricket, like Cricket 22, is an official, licensed cricket game that represents the 2017-18 Ashes Series. It was released in 2017 and is renowned for being one of the better cricket games in the genre due to its realism and immersive gameplay. The game is a true representative of the Ashes tournament (for both the men’s and the women’s tour) and features entire teams that are fully motion-captured.

While Ashes Cricket does offer plenty of customization options and playstyles, it is more inclined toward staying true to the spirit of cricket by focusing on the two key teams: Australia and England. There’s a massive online community and the game promotes that by allowing players to use the in-game creation tool to create and personalize their players, umpires, teams, and even stadiums to eventually showcase their work online. Additionally, for those who are serious about their cricket, Ashes Cricket includes an online mode where players can compete against others in real-time.

2 Cricket 24

Cricket 22 But Better

• Developers: Big Ant Studios
• Released: 2023
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

The latest installment in the Big Ant Studios’ Cricket series, Cricket 24 was released in October 2023. Instead of focusing on one particular team or tournament, the game basically takes every major cricket event from the past decade and incorporates it into one big game. While the Ashes series remains a central part of its gameplay, other national tournaments, such as the Pakistan Super League, also play a significant role in the game.

Cricket 24‘s gameplay is fairly similar to Cricket 22, but since it does aim to be the “most realistic cricket video game ever,” it introduces certain notable improvements. The most significant improvement is the extensive diversity it has when it comes to selectable teams and players. The game features a huge roster of over 300 players from around the world, along with around 50 official stadiums. The rest of the mechanics and camera work are nearly identical to Cricket 22, which is a good thing because they were already top-notch.

1 EA Cricket 2007

The Most Iconic Cricket Sim Ever Made

• Developers: EA Canada, HB Studios
• Released: 2006
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2

One game that holds an almost legendary status in the cricket community isn’t a modern release like Cricket 24, but EA Sports’ final cricket title, Cricket 07. While it may not match the standards of modern-day sports sims, it was completely revolutionary for its time.

Despite being so old, Cricket 07 remains one of the most iconic cricket sims out there. The game offers a comprehensive range of tournaments and seasons, including both major and minor events, and even has national games based on countries. It includes numerous difficulty and pace modes, such as limited overs, test matches, and four-day matches, with the added option for players to customize and control their pitches. The gameplay is remarkably advanced for a 2006 title and allows players multiple ways to play a shot where even the smallest nuance can end up in a drastically different outcome. During batting, players get extensive control over direction, footing, timing, and power, making every little adjustment count. The entire game is fully customizable and makes players feel like they’re in an actual cricket tournament.