How to build a fantasy cricket team

Step 1: Read the match before the players

Start with the fixture, not the squads. Four questions shape everything else:

• Format. T20 rewards strike rate and wickets in short spells; ODIs reward long innings.
• Ground and pitch. Is it a high-scoring venue with short boundaries, or a slow surface that helps spinners? Our pitch and conditions guide shows what to look for.
• Weather and time. Rain can shorten the game. Evening matches in many Indian venues bring dew, which makes bowling second harder.
• Team news. Injuries, rested players and who is likely to open or bowl at the death.

Write down your expectation in one line, for example "high-scoring, chasing side has the edge, pace in the powerplay". Every pick should fit that line.

Step 2: List the players with the most chances

Fantasy points come from involvement. In a T20, the players most involved are:

1. the top three batters, who face the most balls;
2. all-rounders who bat in the top six and bowl their full four overs;
3. bowlers who bowl in the powerplay and at the death, when wickets fall most often;
4. the wicket-keeper, who can add catches and stumpings, especially if he also opens.

A No. 7 batter who rarely bowls and a fifth bowler who gets two overs have the fewest chances. They are where you save credits, not where you spend them.

Step 3: Pick your core

Choose four or five players you are confident will play a big part, regardless of how the match goes. These are usually an opener from each side, the best all-rounder and the leading strike bowler. Your captain will almost certainly come from this group.

Step 4: Fill the roles within the rules

Now fit the core into a valid team. Most games require at least one wicket-keeper, three batters, one all-rounder and three bowlers, with no more than seven players from one side. See team combinations for the full limits and the common shapes.

Lean the team towards the side you expect to do well. If you think the chasing side will win comfortably, six or seven of its players makes sense.

Step 5: Spend credits where the points are

A common mistake is to spend heavily on four big names and fill the rest with players who barely feature. A better split:

• spend on players with guaranteed involvement: openers, front-line bowlers, genuine all-rounders;
• save on players in good form who are priced low because they are less famous;
• avoid paying top price for a batter who comes in at No. 6 in a T20.

If you have credits left over, upgrade the weakest pick rather than leaving them unused.

Step 6: Choose captain and vice-captain

Your captain earns double points and your vice-captain one and a half times. Pick the two players you expect to score the most, not the two most famous. Usually that means a top-order batter who also bowls, an opener in a high-scoring venue, or a wicket-taking bowler on a helpful pitch. Read our captain and vice-captain guide for the reasoning.

Step 7: Finalise after the toss

The toss tells you two things: the confirmed playing XIs, and who bats first. Check that every player you picked is in the XI, swap out anyone who is not, and reconsider your captain if the conditions favour batting second or first more than you expected. Many games award points just for being in the XI, and a player who does not play scores almost nothing.

A checklist before you save

• Every player is in the confirmed XI.
• At least four or five players bowl for you.
• Your top three batters from each side are covered where possible.
• Your captain and vice-captain come from different roles, so one bad innings does not sink both.
• The team matches the one-line expectation you wrote in step 1.

Frequently asked questions

Should I pick players from both teams equally?

Only if you have no view on the result. If you expect one side to dominate, pick more of its players, up to the limit.

How many bowlers should I pick?

Most strong T20 teams include five or six players who bowl, counting all-rounders. Wickets are worth a lot of points, and every player who bowls is another chance at them.

Is it better to pick in-form players or big names?

Recent form and role matter more than reputation. A big name who is out of form or batting lower down the order often scores less than a cheaper player in form.