The Board of Control for Cricket in India started the Indian Premier League in 2008. Back then, only real-life players would get excited about the annual cricketing festival. However, the companies like Dream11 came up with the IPL fantasy league applications where the users can virtually find themselves to be a part of the ongoing action.

Fantasy cricket is no more a fancy thing now and everyone knows its relevance with the sport not just in India but globally. Technically, it is an online game where the users create their favourite virtual team from a pool of available players and earn points based on how a cricketer conducts himself in an actual cricket match.

Presently, billions of sports enthusiasts enjoy playing fantasy games conveniently on their smartphones and winning real money while being entertained. It is not just during the IPL, but the users can win big prizes by participating in all the international and domestic games across all the formats like T20, ODI, and Test matches.

Winning online games or fantasy league requires skill, patience, and persistence. So, it is advantageous to be aware of the winning tips that bring you closer to scoring big and earning rewards. So, read on to learn fantasy cricket tricks and understand how to approach the game in the best possible way.

General Winning Fantasy Cricket Tips and Tricks

As you may all know that the word fantasy might sound simple but winning the IPL fantasy league or cricket is not as easy as some might think. Although earning small rewards by picking a few in-form players is smooth, it depends on one’s fortune to win big prizes. So, put some effort into grasping the minutest details and select your virtual team accordingly. The catch here is picking the perfect eleven players by analysing their current form and who can extend your winning chances by bringing more points with their on-ground performance. Hence, follow the below tips to create a winning team:

1. Player Performance Matters – Check it

How to conclude whether a player is in form or not? It is by checking the recent game scorecard. One thing you should bear in mind is that, do not select a player just because he is your favorite or a good performer from a few months ago. Also, ignore their career records because it does not matter whether he’s a star or a popular player. Your earnings will depend on the performance of the player in that match. However, if the selection is for the league, then pick the class players as they are capable of performing over the long term.

2. Do Not Neglect the Weather and Pitch Reports

Though it is a virtual team, the actual players will perform on the ground and help increase your fantasy points. So, weather and pitch reports are one of the major points that need to be considered. If the pitch is slow and dry in an afternoon game, then select more spinners in the team rather than going for a swing bowler. Likewise, if the pitch is deemed for batsmen, power hitters, and swing bowlers should be added to your team. It is like “one man’s meat is another man’s poison,” and go with an aggressive approach. 

3. Choosing the Top Order Batsmen

Considering the love that Indians show towards cricket, you must be aware of the value of top-order batsmen. So, choosing capable top-order batsmen is the crucial criterion for winning formidable prizes in fantasy cricket, especially in the T20 format. Naturally, they get to face a maximum number of deliveries that permits them to score more runs, and mostly the top three batsmen are the best in the team. Therefore, comparatively the possibility of them scoring big runs is far greater than the other players.

4. Selecting the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Team

There should be some weightage for the captain and vice-captain caps, right? So, the captain of each fantasy eleven team gets 2x points and the vice-captain receives 1.5x points. Remember, choosing the right captain and vice-captain is one of the significant fantasy cricket decisions that can decide your winning or losing the game or the league. 

5. Multiple Teams’ Creation

As a pro fantasy cricket user, you should utilize the significant trick of creating multiple teams that will increase the likeliness of winning more points. Though you might lose in one contest, the other team might succeed in winning a substantial amount in another competition. Since there is no scarcity of contests in fantasy sports applications, play with as many teams as you like and increase the chances of winning big in the challenges.

Bear in mind that as a fantasy contestant, you earn points based on the player selection and their performance on the field in real matches. It is applicable to all international and domestic games across all the formats; be it exercise contests or fantasy cash leagues. So, below are a few quick recommendations that might help you evolve as a pro fantasy cricket user and win big rewards:          

•       Do not get overexcited and avoid participating in all the games. Rather, play those games in that you have an adequate understanding of the circumstances.
•       Take part in cash games only after getting a substantial knowledge of how IPL fantasy league or cricket functions.
•       Be a smart investor – do not spend all your funds on one game. Divide your capital into parts and do not forget that more games mean adequate chances of winning.
•       Always join the league early from the deadline i.e., at least twelve hours before the commencement of the real matches. It provides you the flexibility to plan for emergencies such as sudden team changes or opting out due to injury, etc.
•       Consider doing complete research about the playing eleven before selecting your players.
•       Finally, trust your knowledge and instincts and enjoy the game.