Wicketkeeper (WK)
One wicketkeeper is mandatory. Wicketkeepers score catching and stumping points, plus batting points if they bat in the top order.
How to set your first IPL fantasy team.
If this is your first season, the loop below is the cleanest way to learn the rhythm of a matchday. Five steps, five minutes.
How to play
Setting your first IPL fantasy team in five steps.
If this is your first season, the loop below is the cleanest way to learn the rhythm of a matchday.
Pick the match
Open any leading fantasy cricket app and select tonight's fixture. Confirmed XI is usually live 30 minutes before toss.
Pick 11 players within the salary cap
You get 100 credits to spend across 11 players. Wicket-keepers and allrounders cost slightly more on average.
Choose your captain and vice-captain
The captain scores 2x. The vice-captain scores 1.5x. This decision is worth more than any other.
Pick the right contest
Free practice contests are best for your first few teams. Move to paid contests once your team-selection logic feels settled.
Track the live score
Most apps run a live fantasy-points feed that updates ball-by-ball. Use it to learn which roles are scoring on the day.
Role basics
What each role contributes on the field.
Batter (BAT)
Batters accumulate points through runs, boundaries, milestones, and strike-rate bonuses. Top-order batters usually have the highest ceiling.
Allrounder (AR)
Allrounders bat and bowl. They usually cost the most in the salary cap, but their dual-role points make them the highest-floor captaincy options.
Bowler (BOWL)
Bowlers score wicket points (25 each), plus economy bonuses and maiden-over points. Death-overs bowlers usually have the highest ceiling.
Maximum XI
1-4 wicketkeepers, 3-6 batters, 1-4 allrounders, 3-6 bowlers. Maximum four overseas players in the playing XI.
No in-play subs
Once the contest locks at the toss, your team is final. Substitutions are not permitted in standard IPL fantasy cricket formats.
Common mistakes
What new players get wrong - and how to avoid it.
Captain the most popular pick
Captaining the most-owned player gives you the same points as everyone else. The captain decision is where you create a rank-points swing - either through a high-ceiling pick or a high-floor pick the rest of the field has underweighted.
Spread the captaincy too thin
The captain gets 2x and the vice-captain gets 1.5x. Don't waste either on a player you don't strongly believe in. Two captains of conviction beat five captains of convenience.
Overpay for overseas stars
Overseas players cost more in the salary cap and have higher variance due to selection risk. The best fantasy teams balance Indian form with overseas ceiling.
Ignore the venue
Venue scoring averages change captain pick logic. A flat Chinnaswamy track rewards aggressive top-order batters. A slow Kotla track rewards spinners and grinders.
Common pitfalls
Eight mistakes new players make - and how to avoid them.
Across the desk's reader surveys, eight mistakes come up repeatedly in the first season of fantasy play. Avoiding them sets you up for a smoother second season.
Picking the most popular captain
The most popular captain gives you the same points as everyone else. The captain decision is the single most leveraged decision in your XI.
Spending the full salary cap
Spending exactly 100 credits usually means you have overpaid for someone. Aim for 95-99 credits - it forces you to make deliberate trade-offs.
Ignoring the venue
Venue scoring averages change captain-pick logic. A flat Chinnaswamy track rewards aggressive top-order batters. A slow Kotla track rewards spinners and grinders.
Overloading on overseas players
Overseas players cost more in the salary cap and have higher variance due to selection risk. The best fantasy teams balance Indian form with overseas ceiling.
Not reading the likely-XI
Confirmed XI is usually published 30 minutes before toss. Reading the XI lets you swap players whose role has shifted before the contest locks.
Stacking too many same-role players
Five top-order batters in your XI is too many. The role is the same, so the captaincy differential is capped. Mix roles for variance.
Ignoring impact player rules
Most leading apps now allow Impact Player substitutions. Read the rules for the specific app you are playing on - they differ.
Chasing losses
Chasing losses is the single most damaging pattern. Set a season budget and stick to it - even after a bad run of contests.
Your first month
A simple weekly rhythm for new players.
Most new players benefit from a simple weekly rhythm. Here is a rhythm that works for the desk's regular readers.
Sunday evening: review the week ahead
Look at the upcoming match schedule. Identify the marquee matches, the venue-favourable captains, and the players you want to track.
Matchday morning: build your XI
Most apps allow you to build your XI in advance and submit before the toss. Submit early to avoid last-minute issues.
Toss time: revise your XI
Once likely-XI is confirmed, revise your XI for any role changes. This is the most important time-spend of the week.
Post-match: review the points
Check the live points feed as the match progresses. After the match, review what worked and what did not - this is how you learn.
Common pitfalls
Eight mistakes new players make - and how to avoid them.
Across the desk's reader surveys, eight mistakes come up repeatedly in the first season of fantasy play. Avoiding them sets you up for a smoother second season.
Picking the most popular captain
The most popular captain gives you the same points as everyone else. The captain decision is the single most leveraged decision in your XI.
Spending the full salary cap
Spending exactly 100 credits usually means you have overpaid for someone. Aim for 95-99 credits - it forces you to make deliberate trade-offs.
Ignoring the venue
Venue scoring averages change captain-pick logic. A flat Chinnaswamy track rewards aggressive top-order batters. A slow Kotla track rewards spinners and grinders.
Overloading on overseas players
Overseas players cost more in the salary cap and have higher variance due to selection risk. The best fantasy teams balance Indian form with overseas ceiling.
Not reading the likely-XI
Confirmed XI is usually published 30 minutes before toss. Reading the XI lets you swap players whose role has shifted before the contest locks.
Stacking too many same-role players
Five top-order batters in your XI is too many. The role is the same, so the captaincy differential is capped. Mix roles for variance.
Ignoring impact player rules
Most leading apps now allow Impact Player substitutions. Read the rules for the specific app you are playing on - they differ.
Chasing losses
Chasing losses is the single most damaging pattern. Set a season budget and stick to it - even after a bad run of contests.
Your first month
A simple weekly rhythm for new players.
Most new players benefit from a simple weekly rhythm. Here is a rhythm that works for the desk's regular readers.
Sunday evening: review the week ahead
Look at the upcoming match schedule. Identify the marquee matches, the venue-favourable captains, and the players you want to track.
Matchday morning: build your XI
Most apps allow you to build your XI in advance and submit before the toss. Submit early to avoid last-minute issues.
Toss time: revise your XI
Once likely-XI is confirmed, revise your XI for any role changes. This is the most important time-spend of the week.
Post-match: review the points
Check the live points feed as the match progresses. After the match, review what worked and what did not - this is how you learn.
Impact Player rule
How the Impact Player substitution works.
The Impact Player rule - introduced in IPL 2023 - lets each team substitute one nominated player into the XI before the toss. Here is how it works in fantasy apps.
Nominate before toss
The franchise nominates one player as the Impact Player before the toss. The nominated player can be from the squad but not in the playing XI.
Swap in at any point
The franchise can swap the Impact Player into the XI at any point during the match, replacing any player from the original XI.
Fantasy impact
In fantasy apps, the Impact Player swap is treated like a normal substitution. The substituted-out player's fantasy points stop accruing at the point of swap.
Pick Impact Players in your XI
Most Impact Players are middle-order batters or part-time bowlers. Picking them in your XI can return bonus points when they are swapped in mid-match.
Practice vs paid contests
Why practice contests matter.
Practice contests are free-to-enter contests with no real prizes. They are the best learning environment for new players.
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Test captaincy logic
Practice contests let you test captaincy logic without risking real money. Try a few different captaincy strategies and see how they perform over a weekend.
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Learn the app interface
Each app has a slightly different interface for team selection. Practice contests let you learn the interface without the pressure of paid entry.
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Build your first month
The first month of fantasy play should be 80%+ practice contests. Move to paid contests only when your team-selection logic feels settled.
FAQ
Common how-to-play questions.
What is the minimum age to play?
18+. Every leading fantasy cricket app runs a mandatory age check during signup.
Do I have to pay to play?
No. Every leading app offers free practice contests that you can use to learn the format without spending money.
How do withdrawals work?
Most apps process UPI withdrawals within 30 minutes to 6 hours for verified accounts. Bank-account withdrawals can take 6-24 hours.
Can I edit my team after the toss?
No. Once the contest locks at the toss, your team is final.
What documents do I need for KYC?
PAN is mandatory for all paid contests. Aadhaar is required for withdrawals above the basic threshold. Bank account or UPI linking is required for withdrawals.