The 21st-century technological revolution has greatly impacted the sports industry. In the past, fans only experienced their favourite sports live and waited until a new season kicked off to continue the thrill. But nowadays, online or virtual games, such as fantasy cricket, keep enthusiasts entertained even during the off-season.
So, what is fantasy cricket? It’s an online sports genre that lets you select a virtual team from actual cricketers, accumulate points according to the team’s actions, and win real prizes!
It also provides the chance to experiment with your strategic ability in showcasing your mastery of cricket. Surprisingly, most fantasy cricket players also enjoy fantasy football, and they often use free football tips to analyse lineups and predict outcomes.
Before participating in any fantasy sport, especially as a first-timer, you must grasp the concept thoroughly. As such, here is a conclusive guide to playing fantasy cricket!
What to Consider When Picking a Team
Fantasy cricket may sound intriguing, but it involves critical thinking, research, and analysis. Since the game’s main goal is choosing a high-performing team, you must consider several factors to maximise your chance of winning.
● Balance Your Team
Depending on your credits budget, you must balance out your team with wicketkeepers, batsmen, bowlers, and all-rounders. You cannot concentrate on one category and leave the others. Ideally, pick as follows:
● 1 to 2 wicketkeepers (top-order batsmen).
● 2 to 3 all-rounders to boost the chances of securing points.
● 3 to 4 death bowlers.
● 4 to 5 batsmen, making sure that one or more is an opener.
At the same time, you must know that big names consume more credits, and you cannot select players past the available credits.
● Analyse Statistics for Player Form
When picking players, consider their recent form on the field compared to their reputation. Even the most valuable players can have bad days, and choosing them for their popularity could hurt your chances of winning. Luckily, most fantasy cricket sites have built-in AI and other statistical tools to help you scrutinise a cricketer’s form.
● Beware of Pitch and Weather Conditions
Another vital parameter for winning at fantasy cricket is the pitch and weather forecast. On a bowler-friendly pitch, think about selecting more bowlers or all-rounders. Meanwhile, for a flat pitch, which is ideal for batting, assemble a team of top-order players for better chances of scoring runs.
What if it rains during the match? Go for bowlers who may restrict the opponent from scoring highly in the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.
● Go for the Right Captain and His Assistant
Next in line is the choice of captain and vice captain. While they are still players like the rest, they hold more points at 2x and 1.5x, respectively. Therefore, selecting them keenly will significantly boost your score. To leverage your judgement, pick players with better form than the rest as the captain and the assistant captain, as they’ll greatly influence the game.
Strategies to Give You An Upper Hand
The knowledge of what to do when identifying your ideal fantasy cricket team is crucial. But having an advantage over your competitors is also necessary to increase your odds of winning even more.
● Find the Ideal Platform
Some fantasy cricket players prefer less popular apps, especially when playing regularly, because they have limited competition. In addition, please ensure you do your due diligence by learning the rules and regulations for the fantasy cricket app you’re using.
● Manage Credits Tactfully
Since fantasy cricket sites have credit limits, you must be cautious with your spending. Instead of focusing on popular players who require more credits, select underestimated cricketers with significant potential. That way, you’ll balance your team without depleting the available credits.
● Don’t Ignore the Last Playing XI
Entering leagues early enough, like three days before match day, is strategic. While you’re at it, remember to turn on the notifications for updates. Still, don’t forget to update your fantasy cricket team after the final toss right before the game starts. That way, you can remove omitted players and replace them with those among the last XI.
● Go for Unique Choices
Most beginners in fantasy cricket tend to go for template choices. Instead, you should go for one or two players who are not common picks for others. This trick will make your selections distinct, especially in grand leagues. Don’t worry: most platforms have match analysis, cricketer stats, and previews to help during selection.
In Conclusion
Although fantasy cricket is based on virtual cricket teams, the cricketers are derived from real-life games, teams, and players. Therefore, fantasy cricket has changed how cricket fans enjoy the game off-pitch.
To thrive in it, you must practice critical analysis, conduct deep research, and stay updated with the latest cricket news. In short, the right approach and strategy equal significant winning chances. The best part is that most platforms have tools that should make your team selection process less strenuous.
