Verify state eligibility
Fantasy contests are regulated state by state. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and a few others restrict paid play. Check your state first.
18+ only. Fantasy cricket is for adults and may be regulated by state. Play responsibly.
Editorial reference — we are not a gaming operator.
News · Published 3 August 2026
Sai Kishore says he came back too soon: three IPL 2026 matches, one wicket, and a final he could not finish
Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore has broken his silence on the strangest season of his career, telling The Times of India that he "shouldn't have done it" — that he pushed his comeback from finger surgery too hard, played only three matches for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026, and felt short of his best rhythm by the time the franchise reached the final.
41
Editorial pages
covering fantasy rules, points and captaincy.
covering fantasy rules, points and captaincy.
200+
Players tracked
across IPL and international fixtures.
across IPL and international fixtures.
100%
Independent
no paid placements on points tables.
no paid placements on points tables.
24×7
Match-day desk
updated within minutes of toss.
updated within minutes of toss.
Editorial chapters
Eight chapters cover every match-day question.
From picking a captain to reading the points system, our chapters are written by editors who play the game themselves — not marketers chasing sign-ups.
01
Fantasy Cricket
How the contest works, what a "team" actually is, and why salary caps matter.
Read chapter →
02
IPL 2026
Season preview, schedule reference, team form, and what changed in the auction.
Read chapter →
03
Predictions
Today's fixtures, projected XIs, pitch reports and toss impact on captaincy.
Read chapter →
04
Fantasy Tips
Captain and vice-captain logic, differential picks, and contest-specific strategies.
Read chapter →
05
Teams
All ten IPL franchises with verified squads, owners, home grounds and captain records.
Read chapter →
06
Players
Batter, bowler and all-rounder profiles with role, recent form and points averages.
Read chapter →
07
Winners
Historical leaderboards, biggest payouts and the teams that actually won contests.
Read chapter →
08
Bonus Code
Where to find current verified welcome offers and how to read the small print.
Read chapter →
The short version
Fantasy cricket is a skill contest, not a lottery ticket.
You pick a virtual squad of eleven players from a real fixture, set a captain and vice-captain, and earn points based on what those players actually do on the field. Higher-ranked entries in larger contests take a share of the prize pool. The skill is in reading pitch, form, match-ups and toss — not in guessing.
The Fantafeat desk treats the format as a sport in its own right: a long arc of small decisions, not a single lucky click. The pages below walk you through each decision in plain language.
- 01Pick eleven from a real match
Select players from both sides within a virtual salary cap. You can change your team until the toss locks it.
- 02Choose captain and vice-captain
The captain earns 2× points, the vice-captain 1.5×. These two selections decide 30–40% of your score.
- 03Earn points from real performance
Runs, wickets, catches, strike rate, economy — every action has a numeric value listed in the points system.
- 04Rank inside a contest
You compete against thousands of entries. Top ranks win; lower ranks earn nothing. Skill beats field over time.
Match-day flow
Four steps from sign-in to a settled team.
The sequence below mirrors what every serious fantasy player does in the ninety minutes before toss.
Complete KYC
PAN and a working bank or UPI handle withdrawals. Most apps verify PAN instantly and UPI within minutes.
Pick your contest
Start with smaller, lower-commission contests. Practice contests let you build teams without paying entry.
Lock team before toss
The lineup locks the moment the toss happens. Late changes are not allowed; toss read decides captaincy.
Points reference
The eight numbers that decide most contests.
Every platform publishes a full points table; these eight rows explain 80% of the variance between a winning and a losing team.
+1
Per run
Standard run value
Every run scored by your batter earns one fantasy point. Boundaries and sixes add bonus points on most platforms.
+4
Boundary bonus
Four runs rewarded twice
A boundary gives 4 runs + 4 bonus points on T20 platforms. Aggressive batters compound fast.
+25
Wicket
Bowlers earn in chunks
Every wicket is worth 25 points plus a strike-rate bonus if the economy is under seven. Spinners get extra for variations.
×2
Captain multiplier
The captain lever
The captain earns double points. One good captain pick can outscore a missed fifty from a regular pick.
−2
Duck penalty
Batter risk
Top-order batters who score zero are penalised. Lower-order batters and tail-enders usually don't carry the same duck penalty.
+8
Catch
Fielding is free upside
Catches earn 8 points each. A fielder with three catches outscores many low-impact bowlers.
+12
Three-wicket haul
Bowling milestone
A three-wicket haul triggers a 12-point milestone bonus on top of the 25-per-wicket base.
−1
Dot ball (T20)
T20-specific pressure
T20 formats deduct a point per dot ball bowled, rewarding wicket-taking and dot-pressure bowlers.
Three contest formats worth knowing before you pick one.
The contest you choose changes the team you should build. Here is how the three most common formats reward different strategies.
Head-to-head (H2H)
You versus one opponent. Winner takes the entry pool minus commission. Best for players who want clean skill signals and a small sample size.
- 1 vs 1 — pure match-up
- Lower variance, smaller prizes
- Good for learning captaincy
League (small & large)
Rank inside a pool of 3 to 100,000 entries. Top percentages pay. Most popular contest format on every fantasy platform.
- 3 to 11 = small league
- Up to 100k = mega contest
- Top 10–50% typically paid
Practice & free contests
Zero-entry practice contests let you build teams without paying. Useful for new players to test captaincy and combinations.
- Free entry, real points rules
- No cash prizes, no KYC required
- Best for first-team builders
A visual field guide for tonight's fixture.
Cricket reads better in pictures than in numbers. The frames below show what we look at when we pick a captain ninety minutes before toss.
Reading 01
The pitch surface
Dry, cracked tracks slow spinners and reward patience. Green, moist surfaces give seamers early life. Tonight's surface at the venue averages 167 in T20Is — a par score.
Reading 02
Batter match-up
Right-arm pace against left-handed batters averages 1.42 economy in the powerplay. We weight captaincy toward batters with a strong match-up edge tonight.
Reading 03
Bowler workload
Two Indian seamers crossed 18 overs last match. We expect rotation, which opens the door for a third-seamer punt in fantasy lineups.
Reading 04
Home advantage
India at this venue have won 7 of the last 9 T20Is. Familiar conditions matter more than ICC rankings for short-format fantasy.
Ranked insights · IPL 2026 form
The eight players worth your captain armband.
Sorted by recent points-per-match in IPL 2026. Captain picks are bolded. Differential means fewer than 10% of public teams have selected the player.
#
Player
PPM
01
SYSuryakumar Yadav · MI
94.2
02
YKYashasvi Jaiswal · RR
88.1
03
RBRashid Khan · GT
84.5
04
SHSai Sudharsan · GT
79.3
05
JBJasprit Bumrah · MI
76.8
06
VKVirat Kohli · RCB
71.2
07
HSHardik Sharma · MI
68.5
08
ABAndre Bader · differential
62.0
PPM = average fantasy points per match in IPL 2026. Form = 7-day rolling delta. Owned = percentage of public teams selecting this player.
Two ways to build tonight: safe captain or differential punt.
Every contest rewards one of two mindsets. Here is how each plays out in practice, and when the Fantafeat desk picks one over the other.
The safe captaincy path
Pick Suryakumar Yadav or another top-15 owned player as captain. Score 90–100 fantasy points. Finish in the top 30% of every contest you enter.
Best for: small leagues (under 100 entries), practice contests and bankroll preservation. The expected value is positive but small.
Verdict — Use when you are paying entry into 3+ contests in the same night. The variance loss compounds less.
The differential punt
Pick a player under 10% ownership as captain. If they score 80+, you leap past 70% of the field. If they fail, you finish outside the prize pool.
Best for: large-field mega contests where rank matters more than consistency. Only viable when you have a strong read on the surface and match-up.
Verdict — Use sparingly in 1 or 2 contests per match, never as your only lineup. Variance is high; expected value requires careful selection.
Reference ledger
Points reference table — T20 format.
The full batting, bowling and fielding point table. Print it out for the toss if you build teams the old-fashioned way.
T20 points · standard platform
| Action | Batting | Bowling | Fielding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run | +1 | — | — |
| Boundary (4) | +4 | — | — |
| Six | +6 | — | — |
| Half-century (50) | +8 | — | — |
| Century (100) | +16 | — | — |
| Duck (batter only, top order) | −2 | — | — |
| Wicket | — | +25 | — |
| LBW / Bowled bonus | — | +8 | — |
| Maiden over | — | +4 | — |
| Three-wicket haul | — | +12 | — |
| Catch | — | — | +8 |
| Stumping | — | — | +12 |
| Run out (direct) | — | — | +12 |
| Run out (catcher) | — | — | +6 |
| Dot ball (T20) | — | −1 | — |
Variations exist between platforms. Always verify the points table inside your contest before lock-in. Captain = 2×, Vice-captain = 1.5× on every major platform.
Questions readers send the desk most weeks.
Six questions we keep answering in our inbox. If your question isn't here, contact the editorial desk and we will publish an answer within 48 hours.
Is fantasy cricket legal across India?
Paid fantasy cricket contests are governed by state-level public gambling acts and the Public Gambling Act 1867. Most states treat paid fantasy as a game of skill and permit it; six states currently restrict or prohibit paid entry. We maintain a state-by-state reference on the legal page.
How do I pick a captain every match?
Default to the in-form batter or all-rounder with the strongest match-up on the day. Use differential captaincy only when you have a strong read on conditions and ownership. The captain and vice-captain typically decide 30–40% of your score.
What is the difference between Mega and Head-to-Head contests?
Head-to-head is one-versus-one; the winner takes the entry pool minus commission. Mega contests are large-field leagues with a fixed rank payout structure. Mega contests reward differentiation; H2H rewards pure skill ranking.
How do withdrawals work after I win?
Most platforms credit winnings to your in-app wallet immediately after the match is settled. Withdrawal to bank or UPI typically takes 2 to 24 hours once KYC is complete. PAN and bank verification are mandatory before any withdrawal.
Can I change my team after the toss?
No. The team locks the moment the toss happens. Make sure your captain, vice-captain and batting order are locked before you see the playing XIs.
What is a referral or bonus code?
Fantasy platforms reward new users who sign up using a referral or bonus code with cash bonuses or contest entries. Codes are platform-specific; one Fantafeat referral code does not transfer to another platform.
Play like a long arc, not a sprint.
Fantasy cricket is a hobby for most of us and a discipline for a few. Either way, treat your entry spend like any other entertainment budget: cap it, log it and stop when it stops being fun. If the contest feels like a job, take a week off.
The Fantafeat desk is independent and does not run contests. We will never publish a captain pick as a "guaranteed winner" because no pick is guaranteed. If you ever feel your play is drifting, the helplines below are free, confidential and 24×7.
Ready to build tonight's team?
Fantafeat doesn't run contests, but the Fantafeat editorial desk picks the same captain every match-day reader does. Get the official download and lock your team before toss.
Six Indian states restrict paid fantasy contests.
The desk publishes a state-by-state reference. If your state is restricted, you can still read our captaincy logic and points reference; you cannot enter paid contests on the major platforms.
AP
Andhra Pradesh
Restricted
Paid fantasy contests prohibited under state gaming law.
AS
Assam
Restricted
State gaming act prohibits online paid fantasy contests.
OD
Odisha
Restricted
State-level restrictions apply to online paid fantasy contests.
TS
Telangana
Restricted
Telangana Gaming Act 1974 prohibits paid online fantasy contests.
TN
Tamil Nadu
Restricted
Tamil Nadu Gaming Act 2022 prohibits paid online fantasy contests.
SK
Sikkim
Restricted
Sikkim has its own licensing regime; most platforms do not serve the state.
22+
Other states
Allowed
Paid fantasy contests are permitted subject to age verification and KYC.
18+
Age gate
All platforms
Every major fantasy platform requires users to be 18 or older.
How the editorial desk works.
Three roles, one publishing cycle. Every page goes through at least one editor and one fact-checker before update.
Rules and points system writers
Maintain the points reference tables, the captaincy framework, and the state-by-state legal page. Cross-check operator terms before each season.
- Updates points system when platforms publish changes
- Retires outdated captaincy confidence claims
- Maintains the legal state-by-state reference
Match-day analysts
Publish projected XIs, pitch reads and captaincy reasoning ninety minutes before toss. Update after the official toss. Retire after the match.
- Daily predictions during the IPL season
- Confidence labels on every captain pick
- Toss-impact reasoning for every fixture
State-eligibility reporter
Tracks state-level gaming law changes, KYC rules and platform enforcement of restricted states. Updates the legal page within 24 hours of any substantive change.
- Cross-checks state gaming acts quarterly
- Updates KYC and withdrawal timelines
- Publishes retirements of outdated advice
A suggested reading path for new readers.
If you have just found the desk, these six pages will give you the full picture in twenty minutes.
R01
How fantasy cricket works
Start here. The rules, the salary cap, the captaincy and the contest formats explained from scratch.
Read first →
R02
Points system reference
Every batting, bowling and fielding point value. With platform variations and the captain multiplier.
Read second →
R03
Is fantasy cricket legal?
Six states restrict paid play. Verify yours before you deposit.
Read third →
R04
Captaincy guide
The five-factor model for picking a captain, with safe versus differential reasoning.
Read fourth →
R05
Twelve tips desk
Captaincy, differentials, contest strategy and bankroll management.
Read fifth →
R06
Responsible play
Bankroll management, helplines and breaks. The single most important page on the desk.
Read sixth →
A short glossary of fantasy cricket terms.
The eight terms every fantasy player encounters in their first ten matches.
Salary cap
The virtual budget you must stay under when picking your eleven. Top-order batters and strike bowlers cost more than tail-enders.
Captain multiplier
The captain's points are doubled (2×). The single highest-leverage decision in fantasy cricket.
Vice-captain multiplier
The vice-captain's points are multiplied by 1.5×. The second-highest leverage decision.
Lock-in
The moment after which you cannot change your team. On every platform the lock is the official toss.
Head-to-head
One-versus-one contest. The winner takes the entry pool minus commission. Cleanest test of skill.
Mega contest
Large-field league with thousands of entries. Top 0.5 to 2 percent wins. Rewards differential captaincy.
PPM
Points per match. The player's average fantasy score across matches played. Used to compare players.
Differential
A player selected by under 10 percent of public teams. Captaincy on differentials can leap past the field in mega contests.
Latest from the news desk.
Five articles from the editorial desk. The news desk covers platform-level changes, points-table updates and state-level regulatory shifts.
N01
Sai Kishore says he came back too soon
Three IPL 2026 matches, one wicket, and a final he could not finish — what the spinner told The Times of India about his finger surgery comeback.
Read article →
N02
Markram leaves LSG captaincy call to the franchise
What his Hundred-form comments tell fantasy players about the IPL 2027 retention window.
Read article →
N03
Points table updates for 2026
Every platform-level points change effective for the 2026 season.
Read article →
N04
State eligibility reference
Which Indian states currently allow paid fantasy contests and which do not.
Read article →
N05
Captaincy trends in IPL 2026
How differential captaincy paid off — and where it failed this season.
Read article →
Five bankroll signals to watch every week.
These five numbers tell you more about your fantasy season than any single contest result. The desk publishes them on the responsible-play page.
1–3%
Daily spend cap
Daily entry cap
Cap daily entry spend at 1 to 3 percent of your starting bankroll. Stop when you hit your cap, win or lose.
14d
Breaks
Fortnight break
Take a fortnight off after three bad matches. The break is more profitable than chasing the loss.
30%
Top percent
Top-30 percent finish rate
Track your top-30 percent finish rate across contests. Consistent top-30 finishes mean your reads are paying off.
2×
Variance
Expected variance
A single captain pick can move you 20,000 ranks in a mega contest. Judge on five-match windows, not single matches.
Have a rule question we have not answered?
The editorial desk reads every message and replies within 48 hours on weekdays. Corrections are answered within 24 hours. We do not run contests and we cannot resolve account issues — for those, contact your platform directly.
Three things to remember before every toss.
A short recap of the desk's most-repeated advice, condensed into three lines you can read in the elevator to the match.
Match-day checklist
You will not remember the whole five-factor captaincy model ninety minutes before toss. You will remember three things: lock the captain ninety minutes early, match captaincy to contest size, and stop when you hit your daily spend cap. The rest is detail.
Read this recap section on match-day morning. Then read the predictions page for tonight's projected XI. Then build your team. Then lock it five minutes before toss. That is the entire workflow.
- 01Lock your captain ninety minutes early
Form, match-up and toss are usually decided by then. Locking early lets you build around the captain pick.
- 02Match captaincy to contest size
Safe captaincy in head-to-head and small leagues. Differential captaincy in mega contests only.
- 03Hit your daily spend cap, then stop
Cap daily spend at 1 to 3 percent of your starting bankroll. Stop when you hit your cap, win or lose.
- 04Read the desk's predicted XI one last time
Predicted XIs are forecasts. After the toss, the desk updates the page with confirmed lineup changes.
The desk's weekly publishing cadence.
If you read the desk once a week, here is when to come back for each kind of content.
Match-day predictions
Projected XIs, pitch reads and captaincy reasoning published ninety minutes before toss during the IPL season. Updates after the toss.
- Projected XIs with confidence labels
- Pitch reads from curator notes
- Captaincy candidates (safe and differential)
Player and team updates
Form, PPM and match-up notes updated every Monday during the IPL season. Captaincy confidence ratings refreshed with the latest five-match window.
- PPM averages for the top 50 players
- Match-up edges against the next fixture
- Captaincy confidence high / medium / low
State and rule changes
State-level gaming law updates and platform-level points-rule changes reviewed every month. Retired outdated advice is removed within 24 hours.
- State-by-state reference refresh
- Platform points-rule changes
- Withdrawal timeline updates