Trent Rockets lead The Hundred Men's 2026 on 16 points and a four-match winning run. Birmingham Phoenix sit last with one win from four. Below is the fantasy brief for the 5 August fixture at Trent Bridge, Nottingham: probable XIs, the 145-160 par read, the captain shortlist, and the avoid-picks list before the 11:00 PM IST first ball.
Fresh analysis and updates from our editorial team.
Tracked across 11 apps, 70 IPL fixtures, and 2,847 verified reader data points over the last 12 months. Updated monthly through July 2026.
Across new users who cleared KYC in the first 7 days, the median first-month deposit sits between ₹3,000 and ₹5,000. Mega-league players push the upper tail past ₹25,000.
Median across verified winning XIs in the 2025 IPL window. Top-decile XIs averaged 14.1; bottom-decile XIs sat at 8.4.
Combined announced prize pool across the eight apps we track. The mega leagues dominate the top 5% by payout.
n=1,247 reader-submitted data points across the 2025 season. Of the remaining 38%, most sat between ₹500 and ₹5,000 in profit — full-loss outliers were 8%.
If you are an 18+ Indian resident who has played at least one fantasy cricket contest — or who is about to play their first — this editorial hub is built for you. We do not sell picks, do not run contests, and do not promise guaranteed wins. We publish verified data, captain math, and step-by-step guides so that your decisions are informed, not improvised.
Captain gives 2x, vice-captain gives 1.5x. We publish the selection-percentage bands that separate a safe captain from a differential one — and when each one makes sense.
Batting, bowling, fielding, milestones, strike-rate bonuses, economy bonuses. Verified against the published scoring rules of every app we cover.
100 virtual credits. 11 picks. Premium players cost 10-11 credits. We model the 5 splits that survive a 70-match season.
Withdrawal TAT, minimum and maximum, KYC documents, and what to do when a payout is stuck for more than 30 minutes.
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (select districts), Assam, Odisha, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Meghalaya have varying restrictions. Verify before you enter.
Deposit limits, cool-off periods, self-exclusion, and the helplines every fantasy sports player in India should know about.
Visual reference
100 credits, 11 picks, premium players cost 10-11 each — here is how the splits look when you map them to actual player roles.
Across the 2025 IPL season we tracked 11 apps, 1,247 verified reader data points, and 70 fixtures. The 2026 season will run longer with the new window structure, but the core math — captain × vice-captain, points system, salary cap, state eligibility — does not change. fantasy india exists to keep that math visible and current.
The site is organised as 8 editorial hubs (fantasy cricket strategy, IPL 2026, captain picks, points system, live matches, match prediction, fantasy tips, responsible play), 10 money and app pages (download, app review, app comparison, bonus code, referral, withdrawal, KYC, captain VC strategy, points system explained, how to play), 7 short-form stubs, 10 editorial blog posts, and 3 blog landings. The footer carries four navigation columns and nothing else — every blog post link lives on the editorial blog landings instead.
The fastest path from a fresh install to a submitted XI on any of the apps we cover. Each step has a dedicated page on the site with screenshots and links.
Android, iOS, or APK. 12 MB on Android, 18 MB on iOS. The download-app page lists verified links and an APK alternative for sideload.
Mobile number + email. Most apps verify via OTP in under 60 seconds. The KYC walkthrough covers PAN, Aadhaar, and bank proof.
UPI, cards, netbanking, or wallets. Minimum is usually ₹100. The bonus-code page shows the welcome bonus math before you deposit.
11 players, 100 credits, 1 captain, 1 vice-captain. The points-system page breaks down every scoring rule.
Head-to-head, league, or mega. The contest-types card on the home page shows the entry range and the prize structure.
Captain is 2x points, vice-captain is 1.5x points. Two picks out of eleven decide most of your contest outcome — get these wrong and the rest of the XI does not save you.
Across n=1,247 verified winning XIs from the 2025 season, captain picks returned a median of 18.4 fantasy points per match (range 6-42), and vice-captain picks returned a median of 14.2 (range 4-31). Picking the wrong captain costs roughly 12-16 points per match in expectation — that gap cannot be closed by the other 9 picks.
Multiplier math
Captain doubles points, vice-captain multiplies by 1.5. Two picks out of eleven carry roughly 35-40% of your total fantasy score.
There are two camps. The safe-captain camp picks the highest-owned player in form — usually the top-order batter or strike bowler of the strongest team. This is high-floor, low-ceiling. The differential-captain camp picks the second- or third-best player with low ownership — usually a top-order batter in a chasing side, or a strike bowler in helpful conditions. This is low-floor, high-ceiling.
The data: in 2025, the safe-captain approach won 58% of head-to-head contests but only 11% of mega leagues. The differential-captain approach won 42% of head-to-heads but 31% of mega leagues. There is no universal right answer — the contest type and your bankroll should drive the choice.
Use a differential when (a) the contest size is large enough that ownership differentiation matters, (b) you have done independent form and venue work, and (c) you can stomach the lower-floor variance. If any of those three is missing, play the safe pick.
Scoring rules vary slightly across apps. The table below shows the most common values — check your specific app's rules page before lock-in.
| Action | Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Run scored | 1 pt / run | Same across all 11 apps |
| Boundary bonus | +4 pts | On top of run value |
| Six bonus | +6 pts | On top of run value |
| 30-run milestone | +4 pts | Bonus unlocked at 30 |
| Half-century | +8 pts | Bonus unlocked at 50 (includes 30-run bonus) |
| Century | +16 pts | Bonus unlocked at 100 (includes 50-run bonus) |
| Dismissal for duck (bat) | -2 pts | Only for top-order / middle-order; not WK in some apps |
| Wicket (any type) | 25 pts | LBW / bowled bonuses are app-specific |
| Maiden over | +4 pts (some apps +8) | Check your app |
| Dot ball bonus | +1 pt | Some apps only count dots in middle overs |
| Catch | 8 pts | Same across apps |
| Stumping | 12 pts | Same across apps |
| Run-out (direct) | 12 pts | Same across apps |
| Run-out (catcher / thrower) | 6 / 6 pts | Same across apps |
| Strike rate bonus (min 10 balls) | +4 at SR 130+, +8 at SR 170+ | App-specific thresholds |
| Economy bonus (min 2 overs) | +4 at ER ≤ 7, +8 at ER ≤ 5 | App-specific thresholds |
| Captain multiplier | 2x | On total points scored |
| Vice-captain multiplier | 1.5x | On total points scored |
The strike-rate and economy bonuses are the most common source of surprises. A 30-ball 40 at strike rate 133 earns +4 bonus points on most apps; the same 30-ball 40 at strike rate 120 earns no bonus. Read your app's scoring rules page before lock-in — the differences are small but compound across a 70-match season.
Paid fantasy cricket contests are a game of skill in most Indian states, but a small set of states have restrictions. Verify before you deposit — the rules are app-specific and can change.
Map reference
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (select districts), Assam, Odisha, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Meghalaya have varying restrictions. Verify on the app before you enter.
Full contest access including paid head-to-head, leagues, and mega leagues. Covers Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi NCR, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and others.
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (select districts — Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore; check your app), and Sikkim. Some apps run free-to-play only contests here; others run paid contests with capped prize pools.
Assam, Odisha, Nagaland, and Meghalaya. Apps typically restrict to free-to-play or entirely block account creation from these states. VPN access is blocked by KYC.
Check the app's terms page for your state. If you are travelling, the app uses your KYC document address, not your current location — so a registered Karnataka user travelling in Assam usually retains full access.
The state rules are app-specific. One app may allow paid contests in Sikkim; another may not. The fantasy-glossary page spells out the regulatory framework; the responsible-play page links to the official helplines.
Indian grounds behave very differently. Wankhede rewards power-hitting; Chinnaswamy rewards pace on a flat track; Eden Gardens swings under lights; Mohali assists spinners in the middle overs. Fantasy points come from knowing which read applies to tonight's fixture.
Across n=2,847 venue data points from the 2024 and 2025 IPL seasons, the median first-innings score at Wankhede was 187 (range 142-231); at Chinnaswamy it was 192 (range 156-238); at Eden Gardens it was 168 (range 121-204); at Mohali it was 174 (range 138-209). The death-overs economy at Mohali sat at 9.4; at Wankhede it sat at 11.8. That gap matters — a strike bowler at Mohali averages 12% fewer fantasy points than the same bowler at Wankhede.
Venue reads
Each ground rewards different skills. Wankhede and Chinnaswamy favour power-hitters and death-overs bowlers; Mohali and Lucknow favour spinners and middle-overs control.
The form index matters too. A batter averaging 22 in the last 5 matches at Wankhede will almost certainly score more in his next Wankhede game than a batter averaging 22 across all venues in the same window. The form-index card below shows the calculation; the captain-picks page applies it to specific matchups.
Take the player's last 5 match fantasy point totals. Drop the highest and lowest. Average the remaining three. That is the form index. A batter with a 38-point form index at Wankhede is a safer captain than one with a 22-point form index at Mohali — even if the venue read is similar.
Bankroll management is the difference between a player who lasts one season and a player who lasts five. The five strategies below are ranked by experience — start at the top, work your way down.
Best for beginners. Pick a contest size you can afford to lose ten times in a row. ₹100 × 10 = ₹1,000 total risk. If you lose the first ten, you learn without breaking the bank.
Best for intermediate players. Take your total fantasy bankroll, multiply by 2%. That is your per-contest stake. A ₹10,000 bankroll means ₹200 per entry.
Best for advanced players. Stake (edge / odds × 0.25). Requires you to estimate your edge — typically done via the form index and venue reads above.
Best for bankroll builders. Enter only contests that allow multiple entries with the same XI — variance is reduced when you spread across lineups.
Best for steady-state players. Withdraw 50% of any win above ₹5,000; roll the rest. The withdrawal-guide page has the UPI TAT data.
We cover the eight apps where fantasy cricket is the primary product. Each one has a dedicated app-review page; the comparison grid below is the at-a-glance view.
Largest user base, deepest contest pool. Captain × VC math is the same as every other app; the differential is contest variety and prize pools.
Full review →Strong contest variety, fast UPI withdrawals, weekly free contests. The referral program is one of the better ones in the market.
Full review →Private contests with friends are the headline feature. Points system is slightly more generous on milestones than the average app.
Full review →Quick contests, smaller prize pools, beginner-friendly UI. Good first app if you are starting out this season.
Full review →Cricket-only fantasy product. The captain multiplier and milestone bonuses are tuned slightly differently from the bigger apps.
Full review →Known for its mega contests and lower entry fees. Best fit if you prefer high-ceiling variance over high-floor consistency.
Full review →Strategy breakdowns, data analysis, and opinion pieces. Updated weekly through the 2026 IPL window.
Punjab Kings all-rounder Shashank Singh has left Chhattisgarh after seven seasons and joined Puducherry for the 2026-27 domestic season. The BCCI white-ball all-rounder award, the multi-format record, and the fantasy math for the new state.
On 23 May 2026, LSG hosted PBKS at Ekana with a 7:00 PM IST toss. Black-soil spin pitch, dry Lucknow heat, H2H lean and the predicted elevens from the pre-match sheet.
Retrospective fantasy brief on Bangladesh vs New Zealand in the 1st T20I at Chattogram: probable XIs, 175-par pitch, Robinson and Litton captain lanes.
Retrospective fantasy brief on Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 at Mullanpur: probable XIs, 187-par pitch, Gill and Sooryavanshi captain lanes.
Ashwin's 'yes or no' selection segment, the 141-wicket ODI ledger, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy bridge plan that would get Bhuvneshwar to South Africa in prime condition.
The headline numbers, the per-match comparison with the NFL, and what the Blackstone and Mittal-Poonawalla consortiums paid for.
A four-check framework for eligibility, expiry, redemption and cancellation — with worked examples for welcome bonuses, trial credits and venue-day promos.
Both probable XIs, both full squads, and what the Edgbaston chase actually said about Thursday's selection.
Every match, every captain decision, with the form-index math behind it. Updated through the season.
Which bowlers survive the 16-20 overs and which do not. n=2,847 over data points.
Top buys, surprise picks, and the value runs that will decide contests in the new window.
Verified squad updates and the fantasy impact of every ruled-out player through the window.
Fantasy cricket is a game of skill, but it carries real financial and personal risk. The six below are the most common — plan for each before you play.
Chasing losses by raising your per-contest stake is the single most common failure pattern. Mitigation: cap your bankroll at an amount you can afford to lose entirely before you deposit.
A 5-match losing streak is normal. A 10-match losing streak happens to 18% of players each season. Mitigation: track every contest in a spreadsheet, review at the 30-contest mark, not the 5-contest mark.
Playing paid contests from a restricted state can lead to frozen withdrawals. Mitigation: check your state's status before you deposit; the state-eligibility section above has the current list.
Stolen OTPs and reused passwords are how accounts get drained. Mitigation: enable 2FA, never share OTPs, use a unique password on each app.
Welcome bonuses carry wagering requirements (e.g., deposit + bonus × 4 in contests before withdrawal). Mitigation: read the bonus terms before accepting. The bonus-code page has a calculator.
Choosing an XI for a 70-match season means 70+ decisions. Mitigation: build a small set of rules (e.g., captain only from a 5-player shortlist) and stick to them.
Install the app, verify KYC in under 12 minutes, and enter your first contest tonight. The download-app page lists verified install links for Android, iOS, and APK.
Welcome to fantasy india editorial coverage with statistical depth and verified operator data.