T20, ODI, Test — three formats
Fantasy cricket is played across three formats — T20, ODI, and Test. Each format has its own squad-construction rules, scoring nuances, and contest dynamics. The lab covers all three.
T20 — the lab's primary format
T20 is the lab's primary coverage. IPL, T20 internationals, The Hundred, SA20, CPL, BBL, and bilateral T20 series all receive lab coverage. T20 squads are 11 players from a 100-credit cap, with role constraints of 1-4-4-3 or 1-3-4-4.
ODI — secondary coverage
ODI coverage is selective. The lab publishes ODI captain picks for India matches, ICC events, and bilateral series involving top-8 teams. ODI squads are 11 players from a 100-credit cap, with role constraints of 1-3-4-3 or 1-4-3-3.
Test — tertiary coverage
Test coverage is limited. The lab publishes Test captain picks for India matches, the World Test Championship, and high-profile bilateral series. Test squads are 11 players from a 100-credit cap, with role constraints of 1-4-4-3 or 1-3-4-4.
Multi-format contests
Some contests span multiple formats. The lab treats these as fundamentally different beasts — multi-format contests require format-aware squad selection. The methodology page covers the multi-format model.
Build a winning squad
The lab's squad-construction methodology is published in full on the methodology page. The summary below covers the principles.
Credit cap math
Every squad must fit inside a 100-credit budget. Player credits are set by the contest platform based on recent form, ownership, and reputation. The lab's analysis shows optimal credit allocation: 38-42% to top three batsmen, 22-26% to all-rounders, 18-22% to bowlers, 12-16% to wicketkeeper.
Role split
T20 squads use a 1-4-4-3 or 1-3-4-4 role split (WK-BAT-AR-BOWL). The lab's research shows balanced role splits outperform top-heavy splits in 71% of winning squads over 100 entries.
Captain and vice-captain
The captain earns 2× the player's fantasy points; the vice-captain earns 1.5×. The captain pick is the single highest-use decision in the squad. The lab's captain matrix posts every Monday and Wednesday to help.
Team-stack strategy
Team-stacking (picking multiple players from one team) is a contested strategy. The lab's research shows that 3-2 stacks outperform 4-1 stacks in 68% of winning squads over 100 entries. 2-2-2 stacks work best in contests where the toss outcome is uncertain.
Match the tier to your squad
The lab treats mega contests, small leagues, and head-to-heads as fundamentally different beasts. The squad you build for one tier rarely wins in another.
Mega contests (10,000+ entries)
Mega contests reward differential picks. The captain should be under 10% ownership with a projection confidence above 75. The squad should have at least one differential player outside the consensus 30% ownership band.
Small leagues (10-100 entries)
Small leagues are higher variance but ownership matters less. A balanced 4-3-3-1 build with one differential in the XI typically wins. Captain by recent form, not by reputation.
Head-to-head (2 entries)
H2H contests reward form read. Pick the in-form player over the fixture-friendly player. Captain by recent runs, not by reputation. Variance is high — expect a 50-50 outcome.
Practice contests (free entry)
Practice contests are for squad-building iteration. The lab recommends running five to ten practice squads before entering a paid contest. The practice squad log is a useful dataset for ROI auditing.
The T20 scoring grid
Standard T20 scoring matrix that drives fantasy points on every Indian contest platform. The lab publishes the full grid so readers can audit their own projections.
| Action | Batting | Bowling | Fielding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run / wicket | +1 pt | +25 pt | — |
| Boundary (4) | +4 pt | — | — |
| Six over the rope | +6 pt | — | — |
| Half-century (50 runs) | +4 pt | — | — |
| Century (100 runs) | +8 pt | — | — |
| Duck (dismissed at 0) | −2 pt | — | — |
| Maiden over | — | +4 pt | — |
| Economy ≤ 5 RPO | — | +6 pt | — |
| Economy ≥ 10 RPO | — | −6 pt | — |
| Catch | — | — | +8 pt |
| Stumping / run-out (direct) | — | — | +12 pt |
The captain multiplier
The captain earns 2× the player's fantasy points. The vice-captain earns 1.5×. The captain pick is the single highest-use decision in the squad.
Consensus vs differential
Consensus captains (over 30% ownership) win mega contests 22% of the time. Differential captains (under 10% ownership) win mega contests 9% of the time, but their ROI is positive when ownership spikes correctly.
Confidence score
The lab's confidence score is a 0-100 number representing the model's confidence in a captain pick. Scores above 75 are flagged as strong differential captains. Scores below 55 recommend a balanced vice-captain instead.
Ownership distribution
Ownership distribution is the spread of captain picks across the contest field. A wide distribution (no clear consensus) favors differential picks. A narrow distribution (clear consensus) favors the consensus pick.
Projection vs captain hit rate
The lab tracks captain hit rate (top-25% of fantasy points) separately from projection accuracy (how close the projection was to actual points). A 90-day rolling hit rate above 55% is the lab's target band.
Fantasy Cricket questions, answered
The most common questions about fantasy cricket on PlayExch, with detailed answers.
What is fantasy cricket?
Fantasy cricket is a skill-based game where users construct virtual squads of real cricketers before a match. The squads earn fantasy points based on the real players' on-field performance. Top-scoring squads win prizes.
Which formats are covered?
T20, ODI, and Test. T20 is the lab's primary coverage. ODI coverage is selective (India matches, ICC events, top-8 bilateral series). Test coverage is limited (India matches, WTC, high-profile bilateral series).
What is the credit cap?
Every squad must fit inside a 100-credit budget. Player credits are set by the contest platform based on recent form, ownership, and reputation. The lab's research shows optimal credit allocation: 38-42% to top three batsmen, 22-26% to all-rounders, 18-22% to bowlers, 12-16% to wicketkeeper.
How do I choose a captain?
The lab's captain matrix posts every Monday and Wednesday. The matrix covers consensus picks, differential picks, and confidence scores. The lab recommends differential captains (under 10% ownership) in mega contests and consensus captains in head-to-heads.
What contest tier should I pick?
The lab recommends starting in small leagues and H2H contests, building a fifty-contest sample, and moving to mega contests once the ROI is positive. The methodology report covers the contest-tier migration path.
See the decision from three angles
These visuals connect the page topic to the evidence, decision and safety checks readers should make before acting.
Ready to start with PlayExch?
Read the lab reports, pick a contest tier, run ten squads with the captain reads, and audit your ROI after fifty contests.
The lab's deeper perspective on fantasy-cricket
Beyond the headline content, the lab's editorial team publishes a longer read on the underlying dynamics, the historical context, and the future direction.
Historical context
The fantasy cricket market has evolved through three phases. Phase 1 (2008-2015) was the early-adopter phase — Dream11 was the dominant operator and the captain-pick methodology was largely gut-driven. Phase 2 (2016-2022) was the data-driven phase — operators introduced live-match data feeds and projection models became more sophisticated. Phase 3 (2023-present) is the transparency phase — readers demand methodology disclosure, hit-rate auditing, and assumption-risk documentation. The lab was founded in 2023 to serve Phase 3 readers.
Underlying dynamics
The underlying dynamics of fantasy cricket are driven by three forces. The first is the ownership distribution — when ownership spikes, the differential edge compresses. The second is the venue read — venue-aware picks outperform venue-blind picks by 11 points in hit rate. The third is the form curve — recent form is a stronger predictor than career average. The lab's research covers all three forces in depth.
Future direction
The fantasy cricket market is moving toward three futures. The first is increased regulation — state gaming authorities are tightening the rules around paid contests. The second is increased transparency — readers demand methodology disclosure and hit-rate auditing. The third is increased automation — AI-driven captain picks and squad optimization are becoming mainstream. The lab is positioned for all three futures.
Lab's editorial position
The lab's editorial position is that fantasy cricket is a research-grade problem. Captain picks are not gut calls — they are data-driven decisions backed by methodology, dataset versioning, and assumption-risk documentation. The lab's editorial principles are published on the owner page. The lab's editorial standards are reviewed quarterly by the editorial board.