Fantasy cricket has become quite popular over the last few years, alluring millions of fans around the cricketing world to online gaming platforms to experience virtual cricket. It has effectively managed to bridge the gap between real matches and the virtual cricket experience. With the rapid growth of online gaming, cricket found its feet in the virtual realm in order to cater to audiences beyond the cricketing world. In India, cricket is a religion more than a sport with a massive fan following across the country. No wonder why Fantasy Cricket managed to find quick success in India.
As per the textbook definition of Fantasy Cricket, it is a platform where fans can create a virtual team of real-life cricketers to participate in a league or contest. It allows users to make the best use of their knowledge and understanding of the game to defeat their opponents in the contest. Fantasy Cricket has been serving as a platform for fans to unleash their passion game. Moreover, the platform has changed the way people view the sport. It allows fans to get more involved in the match rather than being mere spectators of the sport. Fantasy Cricket enables players to learn more about the sport virtually.
Fantasy cricket is easy to play but one needs to have a basic understanding of the rules of the game to excel in it. Beginners new to the platform must learn the rules and grasp cricket knowledge. In this blog, we will be discussing basic rules for beginners to kick-start their journey in Fantasy Cricket.
10 Basic Rules to Play Fantasy Cricket
1. Understanding the Scoring System
One of the most basic things one has to comprehend is the scoring system. In Fantasy Cricket, there is a scoring system for every action a player performs in an actual match. The points are being awarded for different actions by players on the field. In batting, you will earn points based on the runs and boundaries. If your batsman scores a fifty or a century, you will receive bonus points for it. While in bowling, points are awarded for wickets and maidens, and extra points for a fifer. In fielding, points are based on catching and run-outs. Furthermore, the captain and vice-captain will receive 2x and 1.5 points respectively. Balancing these factors helps in building a competitive fantasy team. Therefore, it’s important to understand the scoring pattern in Fantasy Cricket.
2. Researching Players and Teams
Research is the most crucial factor in Fantasy Cricket. When you do research, you will get a good grasp of the selection of players of both teams playing an actual match. The necessity for proper and in-depth research is pivotal before choosing players for your Fantasy team. The research includes recent performances of the players, batting and bowling averages, and the behaviour of the pitch. As a beginner of the game, keeping track of the players’ performance is crucial as it has a direct impact on your overall Fantasy team’s performance. When you regularly keep track of the player stats, recent form, fitness, and match conditions will enable you to make informed and strategic decisions. Furthermore, always try to do research on team strategies as you can optimize players’ selection, captaincy choices, and substitutions within your budget for a competitive edge over your opponents.
3. Balancing Your Fantasy Team
If you want to be successful in fantasy cricket, research and skill are not just enough but an art of balancing the team. Balancing your fantasy team is crucial as it ensures diverse player roles, minimizing the risk and optimizing point potential. Rather than focusing on one department, try to pick players across all units. Diversification of your team maximizes the opportunities by amassing the highest number of points based on the performance of players in an actual match. It is crucial to create a balanced Fantasy team with a perfect blend of batsmen, wicketkeepers, all-rounders, and bowlers. Select in-form batsmen for consistent runs, bowlers for wickets, and versatile players with all-round skills for balanced points. Importantly, pick different players for different conditions as it will help you to adjust to the team’s strategy based on the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
4. Analyzing Pitch and Weather Conditions
Pitch and weather conditions have a direct impact on the outcome of the game. These two factors play a crucial role and have a major influence on the overall performance of the team. If the pitch is dry and slow, there’s a high possibility of spinners performing well. On the other hand, if the pitch is flat and the weather condition is hot, batsmen are more likely to score more runs in the match. Just having skills and strategies is not enough, there’s more to Fantasy Cricket. Going by pitch conditions, you need to pick players to maximize their points and increase the potential of winning in fantasy cricket. When there’s a probability of rain interruption during the real match, adjust your fantasy team with possible delays and reduced overs. This might affect your points, but adapting to weather conditions ensures the strategic selection of players. Therefore, going through pitch and weather reports will enable you to make informed and strategic decisions while picking the players for your team.
5. Player Injuries and Replacements
Player injuries happen unexpectedly, and thus, it is important to keep updated about the latest developments so that you will get to know about any changes in players’ availability and team strategies immediately. In order to stay updated about players’ injuries, frequently check sports news websites, follow official team social media accounts, and dedicated fantasy sports platforms like Playerzpot. When you follow real-time updates on players’ injuries, you can make timely and necessary changes in your team. Injuries to players can happen anytime, therefore, you need to be ready with substitutes. Once the Playing XI is announced, you can make quick changes to your fantasy team. While making changes to your time, make sure that you modify your lineup to capitilise on current performance trends and maximize your fantasy points.
6. The Captain and Vice-Captain Dilemma
One of the biggest dilemmas often faced by Fantasy Cricket players is choosing the captain and vice-captain of their team. The captain and vice-captain are crucial parts of the team and their performance plays an important role in overall team’s overall success. If you pick two random players as your captain and vice–captain, it will have an impact on your Fantasy points. So, It’s vital to captain and his deputy wisely. Furthermore, the captain bags 2x points, while the vice-captain earns 1.5x points. The captain and vice-captain can be batsmen, bowlers, or all-rounders. Selecting a captain and vice-captain is an arduous task as one needs to analyze their performance in recent games. Statistical insights may help you choose your captain and vice-captain for your team.
7. Avoiding Emotional Biases in Selections
One of the important things every beginner has to keep in mind that never to compromise team selection with emotions. Emotional biases need to be kept aside while picking players for your Fantasy team. It is crucial to avoid emotional biases and make objective decisions because emotional attachments toward particular players might cloud judgment, leading to poor choices that minimize the potential of winning the match. Instead of having emotional biases while selecting the team, rely on stats, players’ recent performances, and player dynamics. The strategic choices foster team composition, leading to better outcomes. When you make objective decisions and strategic choices, there can be a high probability of favourable results. Therefore, never let your decisions be taken over by emotional biases rather have a strategic approach while choosing players in your Fantasy team.
8. Monitoring Team Changes and Line-ups
There can be circumstances where the teams playing an actual match make last minute changes to their playing XI and it goes unnoticed. So, it is important to keep an eye on last minute changes in the team. Once you create a team, there can be a possibility that some selected players in your team are not playing in an actual match because of injury or any other season. Stay updated with the latest news on players’ injuries, and follow sports news websites and the official social media handles of the team. When you follow the latest developments, you can make quick adjustments to your Fantasy line-up. Line-ups play a crucial role in fantasy team selection, influencing players’ performance and accumulation of points. A strong line-up can foster the prospect of winning, while a weak line-up will hamper success in Fantasy Cricket. Therefore, line-ups have a significant impact on Fantasy team selection.
9. Budget Management
Apart from having skills and strategies in Fantasy cricket, one needs to know the art of managing the budget. While selecting the team, each player has a price tag based on their reputation and performance in real life. It’s up to you to choose a strong line-up by selecting the players from both sides within the budget. Budget management is crucial as it enables Fantasy players to make strategic decisions while selecting the team. With limited funds, it entails a meticulous selection of players to ensure a balanced team. Effective management of the budget maximizes players’ choices, optimizing the potential chances of winning. One can manage their funds by refraining from spending too much on star players, rather than picking players who can contribute to the team’s success. Initially pick undervalued players who have the potential to shine and then go high-value players. This is how a budget can be managed.
10. Patience and Consistency
We have often heard that patience and consistency are key to success. The same can be applied in Fantasy Cricket. Once you begin your journey in Fantasy Cricket, you will experience a lot of ups and downs and need to be patient to deal with the lows. At the initial stage, you can expect early success and patience will help you focus to excel well in the game. Embracing patience is crucial for success. Wisely selecting players, considering pitch and weather conditions, and allowing your strategies for better outcomes in the game. Furthermore, consistency holds a significant importance in Fantasy Cricket as it will allow players to improve their game. Participating in Fantasy Cricket competitions regularly will enable you to remain competitive and consistent. If a player consistently performs well in Fantasy Cricket, there’s a possibility that they can have a competitive edge over the opponents. Therefore, patience and consistency are crucial for success in Fantasy Cricket.
Also Read: Asia Champions League ODI 2023: PAK vs IND Fantasy Preview and Playing XI
Conclusion
Playing Fantasy Cricket is always fun and exciting as fans can unleash their passion and showcase their knowledge and understanding of the game to the world. However, one can embrace the joy and thrill of playing the game by keeping in mind the basic rules. For beginners, they can experience the exhilaration of Fantasy Cricket by keeping certain rules such as understanding the scoring system, researching players, balancing the team, analyzing pitch and weather conditions, captain and vice-captain picks, avoiding emotional biases, and most importantly, budget management.
Embrace the captivating world of Fantasy Cricket by showcasing your strategic brilliance, creating your dream team, and tasting the virtual thrill of every match. Fantasy Cricket is not more than just a game where you can learn the art of decision-making, teamwork, tenacity, and dedication. Dive into the virtual world of Fantasy Cricket, relish the experience, and let the learning flow.
