Fantasy Cricket: DOs and DON’Ts for IPL

So, it’s that time of the year again! It’s April and with the IPL just five days away, the fans are gearing up for what is being touted as one of the most anticipated seasons ever.

Cricket is a religion in India with everyone having their opinions and analysis on respective players and their favorite teams but now that Fantasy Cricket has made its presence in the country, a more scientific approach while making your favorite Fantasy team can go a long way in helping you rule the roost compared to your contemporaries.

In this blog today, we’ll learn all the do’s and don’t that one must keep in mind while making his IPL Fantasy team:-

DOs

#1 Do Persevere in adversity

Before we dive into the technical aspect of team formation, the basic tenet of being a successful Fantasy League player is patience and persistence. There would be days when nothing would go right but as is with life, the basic aim of adversity is to test your character to the hilt. Most people quit after one indifferent day at the office while some tend to grit it out and that is what tends to separate the men from the boys.

There may be bleak periods but constant perseverance and constant improvements in your strategy and game-plan will surely reap rewards in the long-run.

#2 Do Keep track of the Probable Playing XI of both sides

Perhaps the most important requirement when it comes to team formation is keeping track on the availability of the players on both sides. With a squad as big as an average IPL franchise boasts off and with just four overseas players to select in the playing XI, teams tend to try out different combinations that might suit at a particular venue (more on this later). So, even if you’re busy throughout the day, focus because this could be the real deal breaker.

#3 Do pick Top 3 batsmen

It’s not rocket science that the Top-3 batsman rules the roost in T20 cricket and their probability of making a significant contribution to a teams total is far more than the middle and lower order. Hence there’s no point in opting for a batsman who comes too late into the innings and has only a handful of balls to face.

Hence it is advisable to go for the top-3 batsman from either side.

#4 Do pick death-over specialists and wicket-keepers wisely

It does not really matter whether you take Kohli’s wicket or a tailender’s wicket, because, at the end of the day, a bowler getting a wicket fetches the same points irrespective of the batsman in question. Hence it is advisable to opt for death specialists who can chip in with few wickets at the back-end of the innings.

A wicketkeeper batting in the top four is like gold. Not only can he contribute via his wicketkeeping skills but if he is a top-order batsman, his batting would give you an extra edge over your competitors.

Don’ts

#1 Do not pick players based on reputation

Often while selecting a fantasy team we tend to take players based on their reputation, their past-heroics and the super-stardom their name carries. But as we have seen in the IPL, a plethora of superstar players bench the dug-out for a better part of the season sometimes, Dale Steyn sat out for the entire 2016 season while playing for Gujarat Lions.

Hence, while making a fantasy team one must keep in mind the player’s form, team combinations as well as the playing conditions (read; pitch).

#2 Do not fall into the “wildcard” trap

When I say do not fall into the differentiator’s trap, it basically implies that we often see people forming their respective XI with players that not many would have picked, in a bid to form a different team. While taking a few ‘Wild Card’ cricketers is good, we should first go in with tried and tested players, or else you’ll fall far behind the 8-ball game.

#3 Don’t put a significant amount of money on the lower-middle order batting

The Top-3 batsman rule in T20 cricket and their chances of making a significant contribution to a teams total is far more than the middle and lower order. Hence there’s no point in opting for a batsman who comes too late into the innings and has only a handful of balls to face.

#4 Do not overlook the pitch conditions

While keeping track of the Playing XI is necessary, it is equally important to analyze the pitch conditions under which the match is going to be played. Typically the official pitch report comes in 45 minutes before the start of the game but it is advisable to analyze the last five matches that have previously been played on the track. The analysis as to how the track has played in the recent past will give you a fair idea of the players that can suit the given conditions.

Thus it is advisable to go all-out for the top-3 batsman from either side rather than slashing all your cash on the lower middle-order.