A working library of fantasy cricket tips.
Captain math, pitch reading, salary cap logic, contest formats, and the small habits that separate a 52% finisher from a 60% finisher.
A reading order for a working library of fantasy cricket tips.
Read top to bottom for the full chapter, or jump in at the section that matches the question you have right now. Every subtopic opens on its own page; nothing here is a stub.
The 2x captain rule
Why 2x and 1.5x are not equal multipliers, and how to find captaincy value without copying the public shortlist.
02Salary cap math
The 100-credit cap is not a budget; it is a series of trades. We show the trades.
03Pitch maps in three minutes
The five things to check on a venue before you lock a team.
04Toss reading
The dew read, the crosswind read, and the one case where the toss almost never matters.
05Contest format mapping
Which format rewards floor, which rewards ceiling, and which rewards luck.
06Mistakes we still make
The five errors our own desk still commits, and the small fix for each.
The full chapter, in one read
The tips on this guide are not generic. They are the specific habits the editorial desk has built over five seasons of playing, watching, and writing about fantasy cricket. Every habit is small. Together, they are the difference between a 52% finisher and a 60% finisher.
Read the library in order if you are new. Skip to the pitch reading chapter if you have a specific match in mind. The table of contents at the top of each chapter is editorial: we tell you which sections matter for a single match and which matter for a whole season.
What you should do next
The fastest way to use this chapter is to read the first subtopic, then jump to whichever subtopic matches the question on your mind. If you are new, the captain and vice-captain subtopic is the one that pays for itself the soonest. If you are returning, the salary cap math subtopic is usually where the season-end edge sits.
We update this chapter weekly. The date below the headline is the last refresh; the changelog at the bottom of the page records every substantive change.
The 2x captain rule, in detail
The 2x captain rule is the single most important rule in the format. The captain earns 2x the points scored. The vice-captain earns 1.5x. The remaining nine players earn 1x. The rule rewards the captain and the vice-captain, in that order. The right captain pick is not the most popular pick; the right captain pick is the player with the strongest case for the next match.
Salary cap math, in detail
The 100-credit salary cap is not a budget; it is a series of trades. The cap forces you to choose between the most valuable role (the allrounder) and the most expensive role (the top-order batter). The choice is the read that determines the season. The desk publishes three worked examples on the salary cap explainer.
Pitch maps in three minutes, in detail
The five things to check on a venue before you lock a team. First, the role of the players in the XI. Second, the venue average score in the last 14 T20s. Third, the dew read for the time of day. Fourth, the bowler matchup for the captain pick. Fifth, the wagon wheel for the captain pick at the venue. The five checks take three minutes and produce a defensible call.
Toss reading, in detail
The toss is decided 30 minutes before the team lock. The 90-second framework the desk uses is on the toss reading explainer. The framework covers the dew read, the crosswind read, the pitch read, and the one case where the toss almost never matters. The framework is the single most-used tool on the desk.
Contest format mapping, in detail
The contest format is the structure that determines the optimal XI. Head-to-heads reward floor; mega contests reward ceiling; practice contests reward learning. The desk publishes a per-format recommendation on the format explainer, with the reasoning and the trade-offs.
Mistakes we still make, in detail
The five errors the desk still commits. Error one: captaining a player because of last match’s performance, not because of the next match’s case. Error two: ignoring the dew read in a night game. Error three: using the same XI for a head-to-head and a mega contest. Error four: changing the captain after the team is locked. Error five: not logging the result. The five errors are the ones we still make, and the small fix for each is on the fantasy tips page.
More from the desk.
The T20 World Cup 2026 roadmap, mapped against your fantasy squad window
What changes for fantasy readers across the next ICC cycle.
Wagon wheel and pitch map: how to read a batter’s real scoring zones
The five-minute method our editors use before every shortlist.
IPL 2026 retention analysis: the five calls that quietly reshaped the auction board
The retentions that changed the salary cap math for the whole league.
Questions readers ask before they read the chapter.
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How long will it take to read this chapter? Plan on 18 to 25 minutes for the full chapter, including the subtopic pages. The summary at the top is two minutes if you only need the headlines. -
Is this chapter written for beginners or returning players? Both. The first subtopic is the beginner path. The salary cap and contest format subtopics are written for players who already play and want to sharpen. -
Do you take affiliate revenue from the platforms you cover? Yes, and we disclose every commercial relationship on the responsible play page. Editorial coverage is independent of commercial relationships; the desk does not promote a platform it would not play on itself.
The 2x captain rule, in detail
The 2x captain rule is the single most important rule in the format. The captain earns 2x the points scored. The vice-captain earns 1.5x. The remaining nine players earn 1x. The rule rewards the captain and the vice-captain, in that order. The right captain pick is not the most popular pick; the right captain pick is the player with the strongest case for the next match.
Salary cap math, in detail
The 100-credit salary cap is not a budget; it is a series of trades. The cap forces you to choose between the most valuable role (the allrounder) and the most expensive role (the top-order batter). The choice is the read that determines the season. The desk publishes three worked examples on the salary cap explainer.
Pitch maps in three minutes, in detail
The five things to check on a venue before you lock a team. First, the role of the players in the XI. Second, the venue average score in the last 14 T20s. Third, the dew read for the time of day. Fourth, the bowler matchup for the captain pick. Fifth, the wagon wheel for the captain pick at the venue. The five checks take three minutes and produce a defensible call.
Toss reading, in detail
The toss is decided 30 minutes before the team lock. The 90-second framework the desk uses is on the toss reading explainer. The framework covers the dew read, the crosswind read, the pitch read, and the one case where the toss almost never matters. The framework is the single most-used tool on the desk.
Contest format mapping, in detail
The contest format is the structure that determines the optimal XI. Head-to-heads reward floor; mega contests reward ceiling; practice contests reward learning. The desk publishes a per-format recommendation on the format explainer, with the reasoning and the trade-offs.
Mistakes we still make, in detail
The five errors the desk still commits. Error one: captaining a player because of last match’s performance, not because of the next match’s case. Error two: ignoring the dew read in a night game. Error three: using the same XI for a head-to-head and a mega contest. Error four: changing the captain after the team is locked. Error five: not logging the result. The five errors are the ones we still make, and the small fix for each is on the fantasy tips page.