Fantasy gaming is no more in its nascent stage now and players all over the world have understood the basic gameplay to develop into competent players. Besides, there is a reason it’s called skill-based gaming and to pick a winning fantasy team today in today’s competitive fantasy gaming atmosphere, you need real skills. So, let’s get to know what skills you require to pick a fantasy team for yourself that will deliver you the wins you seek.
Give up favouritism and be pragmatic
It’s very difficult to not pick players you idolise in your team. But sometimes, one needs to look beyond the big names and take a more practical approach toward selection. No matter what the past stats about the cricketer say, if their current form is dicey, you shouldn’t pick that cricketer even if you are a big fan. Your budget would anyway restrict you from taking all the big names but you should anyway look to pick in-form cricketers who are also budget buys. Sometimes, these players emerge as the X-factors.
Develop your research skills
Just watching cricket isn’t enough now if you aim to win fantasy games. You would need to do your research too. You would need to know who are the in-form players and who are likely to perform. But the players’ form guide isn’t the only thing that is going to help you win fantasy games. You would also need to know what kind of conditions these players perform better in. For example, if you’re picking an XI for a Test in Sri Lanka, it wouldn’t be wise to pick too many fast bowlers as the conditions in Sri Lanka support spin.
Understand match-ups
Match-ups have become a very important part of understanding performances in cricket. One needs to understand how match-ups work. Sometimes some batters are not the most comfortable against a certain kind of bowling and that’s why their performance can vary depending on the kind of bowling attack the opposition possesses. So, in case your team is playing against a team that has several bowlers bowling in that fashion, it may not be wise to pick that batsman. So, go deeper with your research and understand what kind of bowlers generally the batsmen you want to pick make their runs against. The same rule applies to picking the bowlers for your team too.bet
Pick your Vice-Captain and Captain wisely
In fantasy gaming, the choice of captain and vice-captain can often prove to be the deal-breaker. That’s because the captain gets you 2x points and the vice-captain bags 1.5x points, which means their performances often matter the most in the larger scheme of things. While picking these two players, see if there are in-form all-rounders available for you to pick, because all-rounders bring a sense of assurance with their dual abilities. They might not click with the bat but they can still fetch wickets and give you points and vice-versa.
Pick more top-order batters
While there can be better middle-order batters in the pool of players to choose from, the advantage of picking a top-order batter is that you’re almost certain of them getting a turn to bat, which sometimes doesn’t happen to middle-order batters. Sometimes, they get very little time in the middle. So, it’s always wise to pick more top-order batters than lower-order batters.
Keep an eye out for the news
While researching is helpful, what one also needs to ensure is that they are updated with all the information related to the match and the players. Sometimes, late injuries can ruin your combinations. That’s why to keep an eye out for players who might be carrying niggles or might not be 100% fit to take the field. Also, follow what the experts are talking about which players since they are often ex-cricketers themselves. Remember, they are very close to the action and with their experience can often predict which player will come well and which won’t. Moreover, because of their proximity to the players, they often seem to know if there are injury concerns about the player or not. These tips should put you on the path of developing a winning fantasy cricket team.
