Fantasy sport is a digital rage amongst sports lovers, and Indian followers are not far behind. The advent of smartphones and easy access to the internet has further fuelled its popularity. The most popular fantasy sport is cricket here.
The number of Indians playing fantasy cricket has exponentially grown over the last few years, with 20 million users all over the country. This number is expected to reach 150 billion by 2022. These $15 billion industry followers have become almost fanatical about the strategy involved in playing the game. Cricket is practically a religion in India; everyone has an opinion, game plan, favourite players, methodology and whatnot for a strategic win.
Strategies to win in a fantasy cricket game
Follow the numbers
Player stats are important in a fantasy cricket game, as they help you choose the right player. Most fantasy sites maintain data about a player’s performance. Through this data analysis, one can easily follow who is in form and his strengths and weaknesses. This helps one compare performances and come up with the right mix to form a team.
Pitch and Weather conditions
In live cricket games, there are experts always giving their opinion about the pitch and how it will play out down the line. Pitch status determines how much the ball turns or not. This affects both the batsmen’ and bowlers’ play. Also, a slow outer ground can affect the run rate too. Weather also is as effective in determining play. Rainy and cold weather means the ball will turn a lot, which requires fast bowlers. So one should determine the playing 11 keeping this in mind in fantasy cricket too.
Select the right team
Choose the captain and vice-captain wisely. Cricket is a team play, and strong leadership reflects on the whole team. A cohesive decisive player who knows his game is always a popular choice. Sometimes thinking out of the box and making an unconventional choice can also determine a win or a not. But remember, the temperament and format of the game also play a part in this choice.
Regarding the team composition, it should have a healthy combination of batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders. Five specialist batsmen are in order. People tend to concentrate on openers, but specialist numbers 3 and 5 are as important. Having all-rounders takes care of slog bowling and good fielding. One can never compromise over good bowlers. At least four specialist bowlers are a necessity.
Know your opposition
Never underestimate the opposing team. Keep an eye on the performance of the team and each player. Follow their strategies in the past games.
Have a plan B
There are times when even the best players have an off day. So be prepared with alternatives always. In fantasy cricket, one can submit multiple teams, so it is prudent to have an alternative line-up ready.
The more teams you submit, your possibilities of winning become better. There are tools like Fantasy sport line-up builders that can help you with raw projections and line-up suggestions.
Take risks
All sports strategy is about knowing when to hedge your wages and when to go all out. A good captain knows that nothing ventured, nothing gained is a helpful adage when pushed into a corner. Taking risks helps you save and win a drowning match. Trust your teammates to rise to the occasion. Team performance, preparedness and deep knowledge of opposition and your team can help you build an invincible line-up.
Toss is important
To bat first or bowl depends on a lot of factors—Pitch, weather conditions, etc. But mostly, teams opt to bat first as chasing a run target is slightly more difficult than setting one, especially if the stronger team is batting first. In such a scenario, you should go with five strong batsmen and one slog bowler who can restrict runs and has more possibilities of grabbing a wicket.
And if the weaker team is batting first, their score is bound to be manageable. Then you can opt for average batsmen and a strong bowling line-up.
Fantasy cricket strategies are required to stay ahead. If you follow the tips given above, you are sure to bring home the trophy.
