India has been a cricket loving nation ever since we first knew the game. Cricket is a religion for its lovers. For decades we loved the players and game and they ruled our hearts. During the last few years this game has become virtual.
Online Fantasy cricket has taken the world of cricket by storm. The idea of playing a single cricket match in the Fantasy world has been a huge hit. Famous cricketers also came forward as brand ambassadors. With real money involved, this idea in the market became famous in no time.
Fantasy cricket:
It is an online game and is part of fantasy sport genre. A virtual team of real cricket players is first created and points are scored depending on how those players perform in real-life matches. To win a tournament, players must work towards attaining the maximum points and the highest rank on the leader board.
Users feel a sense of personal involvement when the performance of the players they have chosen is reflected in their leader board scores. This is because they select their team which makes feel they are part of the actual match.
Fantasy Cricket Team:
The most important part of this virtual online game is to choose cricket team. 11 players are picked from both the sides. Mostly all-rounders and wicketkeepers since they earn the points throughout the match. The rest of the team depends upon nature of the pitch, recent form and conditions. The websites allow to make changes to the team till the match begins.
Most gaming sites divide squads of both the participating teams in four categories – Wicket-keeper, Batsmen, All-rounder, and Bowlers. Every player is assigned a value called ‘Credit.’ Better the performance higher is the credit score and irregular performers gets the lowest credit value.
Fantasy Cricket Points system:
Every gaming site has its own points system and rules. Every run, every wicket, every catch, every run-out earns you points. Bonus points are rewarded for better strike rate, number of fours and sixes, better economy rate, and milestones such as century and five-wicket hauls. Points are deducted for poor performances as well.
Additionally, captain and vice-captain needed to be chosen. Captains get double the points they earn (2X), and Vice-captains’ points are multiplied by 1.5. Thus, selection of the player who you think would perform the best is very important.
Types of Fantasy cricket contests:
Head-to-Head:
It involves only two players, with one finishing as the winner. The winner takes the whole prize and nothing goes into the account of the loser. The chances of winning re 50% in this type of league.
Winner takes all:
This includes more than two players but generally less than five/six players. All players pool in their entry fees. The odds are lesser than Head-to-Head (33% to 20%), but the rewards are higher.
Medium contests:
This is in between Winner takes all and Grand Leagues which includes between 30 to 300 players. The number of winners also increases, but the odds of winning the top prizes are low.
Grand leagues:
This is where everyone tries their luck. This includes lakhs of participants and the grand prize is exceptionally high, but the probability of winning is the lowest. Excellent selection f league is required in this league.
Fantasy Cricket Predictions:
Luck plays a major role but there are few factors to be considered. Picking the team on hunches can win you certain games, but to a regular win, there are a few things that are necessary to know. That is where prediction sites come in. Who will be in the playing XI? Who will not be in the playing XI? Which players are in the best of the form while which players are struggling to put on the runs? How is the ground, will it suit the spinners or will it help the fast bowlers? What is the average total on this pitch? The prediction websites answer these and many more such questions. You can make an informed decision based on all this data.
Money through Fantasy cricket:
Fantasy cricket is not only a source of entertainment, but provides earning opportunities as well. To win money or prizes from fantasy cricket, users’ teams need to win the maximum number of games, and need to maintain consistency to remain top on the leader board. Adding the elements of money and prizes into this format of the game has given an incentive for more people to take to playing fantasy cricket. The growth of T20 tournaments, such as the Indian Premier League and other professional leagues, has increased the total number of crickets matches in the sporting calendar.
Legality of Fantasy Cricket:
Fantasy games are completely legal. As per the Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG), Fantasy Sports are 100% Legal. Fantasy Sports are classified as “Game of Skill.” The result of the fantasy game contest is not dependent on the win or loss of any particular team in the real-world game. Thus, no betting or gambling is involved in fantasy games. Fantasy Sports are classified as ‘Games of Skill,’ where skill dominates over the possibility, with the result depending upon the “relative knowledge, training, attention, experience, and adroitness of the participants.”
Best Fantasy Cricket Games Apps in India:
Dream11 is the undisputed leader of fantasy gaming. This has set a few standards for the other sites to follow. The company has also sponsored IPL and other significant ICC events. List of Best Fantasy Cricket Games are:
- MyTeam11
- BalleBaazi
- Halaplay
- Fanfight
- FanMojo
- 11Wickets
- My11Circle
- Playerzpot
- RotoBash