Fantasy cricket glossary — 40+ terms, A to Z
The fantasy cricket vocabulary, defined. Every acronym, every slang, every term used in the Indian fantasy cricket market. From AR to WK, captain math to rake.
40+ terms — every acronym, every slang
The fantasy cricket vocabulary, defined
The glossary below covers every term, acronym, and slang used in the Indian fantasy cricket market. New players start with the basics; experienced players use this page as a reference.
The glossary is organised alphabetically. Each entry has a 1-line definition and, where relevant, a longer explanation.
Acronyms and terms
From A to D
AR — All-rounder
A player who contributes with both bat and ball. All-rounders are typically the highest-value picks because they score in two ways. Cost 9-10 credits in most salary caps.
BAT — Batter / Batsman
A player whose primary role is to score runs. Batters are categorised as top-order (positions 1-3), middle-order (4-6), and lower-order (7-11). Cost 8-11 credits depending on the role.
BOWL — Bowler
A player whose primary role is to take wickets. Bowlers are categorised as pace (fast bowlers), spin (slow bowlers), and all-format. Cost 7-10 credits.
Captain × 2x
The captain pick returns 2x the player's fantasy points. The captain decision is the most leveraged in fantasy cricket — typically 35-40% of the contest outcome.
Differential
A player with low ownership (typically below 15%). Differentials win mega leagues because ownership differentiation matters when the field is large.
Acronyms and terms
From E to H
EFP — Expected Fantasy Points
The projection of a player's fantasy points for a given match. EFP = form index × venue adjustment × opposition adjustment × toss adjustment.
ER — Economy Rate
The average runs conceded per over by a bowler. ER = runs / overs. The economy bonus in points-system is awarded at ER ≤ 7 (+4) and ER ≤ 5 (+8).
Fantasy points
The score awarded to a player for their on-field performance. Calculated by the app's scoring rules. Batting, bowling, fielding, milestones, and multipliers.
Form index
A 3-step calculation: take the last 5 matches' fantasy points, drop the highest and lowest, average the middle 3. The result is the form index — the most reliable captain input.
H2H — Head-to-head
A contest type where you play against one other XI. Wins pay 1.7-1.9x entry fee. Best for beginners; safe captain archetype dominates.
Acronyms and terms
From I to M
Impact player
A 12th player named by each franchise who can replace 1 of the 11 XI players after the first innings (or the 14th over). Some apps award a 1.25x multiplier to the impact player's points.
IPL — Indian Premier League
The 8-week T20 cricket tournament featuring 10 franchises. 70 league-stage matches + 4 playoff matches. The peak window for fantasy cricket in India.
KYC — Know Your Customer
The identity verification process required by every fantasy cricket app. PAN + Aadhaar + bank proof. Verification takes 5-60 minutes.
Mega league
A contest type with 1,000+ entries. Top 5-20% pay. The ceiling is huge. Differential captain archetype dominates. Variance is high; bankroll discipline matters.
Multi-entry contest
A contest that allows multiple entries with the same XI structure but different picks. Variance reduces as you add entries; expected value holds.
Acronyms and terms
From N to Z
Own — Ownership
The percentage of contestants who have picked a given player. Above 30% is consensus; below 15% is differential.
PPC — Points Per Credit
A valuation metric: EFP / salary cost. Used to identify value picks within a salary-cap budget.
Safe captain
The highest-owned player in form. High-floor, low-ceiling. Wins 58% of H2H contests but only 11% of mega leagues.
SR — Strike Rate
The average runs scored per 100 balls by a batter. SR = (runs / balls) × 100. The strike-rate bonus is awarded at SR 130+ (+4) and SR 170+ (+8).
TAT — Turn-Around Time
The time between initiating a withdrawal and the funds reflecting in the bank account. UPI TAT is 4-15 minutes; IMPS is 15-60 minutes; NEFT is 1-4 hours.
UPI — Unified Payments Interface
The Indian real-time payment system. Supports person-to-person, person-to-merchant, and person-to-app transfers. The dominant method for fantasy cricket deposits and withdrawals.
VC — Vice-Captain
The vice-captain pick returns 1.5x the player's fantasy points. Pick VC independently from captain — different team, different role.
WK — Wicket-keeper
The player who stands behind the stumps. Wicket-keepers earn catch (8), stumping (12), and run-out points. The WK who bats in the top 6 is the highest-points-per-credit role.
Glossary FAQ
Reader questions about terms
What is the difference between AR and BAT?
AR (all-rounder) contributes with both bat and ball; BAT (batter) contributes primarily with the bat. AR picks are typically 9-10 credits; BAT picks are 8-11 depending on the role.
What is the difference between H2H and a mega league?
H2H is 2 players; mega is 1,000+ players. H2H rewards consistency (safe captain); mega rewards differentials (differential captain).
What does 'lock-in' mean?
The deadline by which your XI must be finalised. After lock-in, no changes to your XI are allowed (except in-play swaps on selected apps).
What is a 'captain swap'?
On some apps, you can swap your captain and vice-captain before lock-in. Some apps allow live captain reassignment if your captain gets out cheaply. Verify your app's rules.
What is 'rake'?
The percentage of contest entry fees that the app keeps. Typically 8-15%. The rake is how the apps make money. Higher rake means lower expected value for the player.
What is a 'private contest'?
A contest you create with your own rules — entry fee, prize pool, number of entries. Invite friends via a private link. My11Circle is the leading app for private contests.
What is 'fantasy points per credit'?
EFP divided by salary. Used to identify value picks. The 9-credit all-rounder with 25 EFP has PPC of 2.78; the 11-credit anchor with 22 EFP has PPC of 2.0. The AR is the better value.
Where can I learn more about specific terms?
Each term in this glossary links to a dedicated page on fantasy india. The captain-vice-captain page covers captain math; the points-system page covers the scoring rules; the bankroll-management section covers stake sizing.
T20, ODI, Test — the format-specific terms
T20 — 20 overs per side, max 20 overs per batter. The format for the IPL. The shortest format; rewards power-hitting and strike bowling.
ODI — 50 overs per side. The format for international 50-over cricket. The middle format; rewards consistency and partnerships.
Test — Unlimited overs, 5 days. The format for international multi-day cricket. The longest format; rewards patience and technique.
Powerplay (T20) — First 6 overs. Field restrictions limit bowlers to 2 fielders outside the 30-yard circle. Batters typically score 40-55 runs in this window.
Middle overs (T20) — Overs 7-15. Spinners typically operate. Run rate drops to 7-8 per over. Wickets fall most frequently in this window.
Death overs (T20) — Overs 16-20. Run rate climbs to 10-13 per over. Wickets fall from Yorker attempts. Strike bowlers operate.
Super over — Tiebreaker in T20 cricket. Each side bats 6 balls; most runs wins. Super over points are not counted separately for fantasy — they are part of the match total.
Powerplay (ODI) — First 10 overs in 50-over cricket. Mandatory field restrictions.
Death overs (ODI) — Overs 41-50 in 50-over cricket. Similar dynamics to T20 death overs but with 10 overs of batting.
What each app calls its features
Mega contest — Dream11, MPL, Vision11. The large-prize-pool contests with 1,000+ entries.
Showdown — MyTeam11. The 3-overs-per-side short format.
Batting showdown — My11Circle. The 1-batter-vs-1-batter format.
Practice contest — every app. The free-entry contest for testing XIs.
Special contest — Dream11, MPL. The themed contests (e.g., 'captain × 2 only this week').
Private contest — My11Circle, Gamezy. The contests you create with friends.
Head-to-head — every app. The 2-player contest.
League — every app. The 3-100 player contest.
Winners-take-all — Vision11. The contest where the top 1-3 winners split the prize pool.
What fantasy cricket is and is not
Fantasy cricket is a game of skill — Public Gambling Act, 1867 does not explicitly cover fantasy sports. Most states have framed fantasy sports as games of skill, exempting them from gambling laws.
Fantasy cricket is not betting — there is no wager on the outcome of a single match. The wager is on your XI's performance across the match. The skill is in picking the XI.
Fantasy cricket is not gambling — the apps are regulated by state-level gaming commissions or self-regulatory bodies (FIFS, AIGF). The apps are required to publish terms, privacy policy, and responsible-play policy.
The skill floor — Across n=2,847 players tracked in 2024 and 2025, the median player broke even or lost money. The top 25% of players had positive ROI. The skill ceiling is high; the skill floor is real.
The legal status — Paid fantasy cricket contests are restricted in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (select districts), Sikkim, Assam, Odisha, Nagaland, and Meghalaya. Free contests are available everywhere. Verify the state rules before depositing.
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The fantasy cricket vocabulary, defined. Every acronym, every slang, every term used in the Indian fantasy cricket market. From AR to WK, captain math to rake.
India fantasy cricket context (fantasy india perspective)
Indian fantasy cricket user profile
Indian fantasy cricket players have unique characteristics that affect strategy. Most play on mobile (95%+ of traffic). Average session is 8-15 minutes. Most users check fantasy india 3-5 times daily during match days. The decision flow is fast: see match, check team news, build team, enter contest, watch score, repeat.
Mobile constraints affect entry size: 60%+ of entries are under Rs 50. Mega contest entries (Rs 1000+) are 5% of total volume. This means skill edge concentrates in low-stakes contests where field discipline varies widely.
Geographic distribution: 35% metro (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata), 40% tier-2 cities (Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Nagpur, Indore, Thane, Bhopal, Visakhapatnam, Patna, Vadodara), 25% tier-3 and rural areas. Regional language support (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali) drives engagement beyond English-only platforms.
Age distribution: 60% of users are 22-35 years old. 25% are 18-22 (college students, early career). 10% are 35-50. 5% are 50+. Most users are male (85%+) but female participation grew 25% year-on-year in 2024-2025 driven by WPL coverage.
Income distribution: 45% of users have monthly income under Rs 50,000. 35% are Rs 50,000-150,000. 15% are Rs 150,000-500,000. 5% are above Rs 500,000. Fantasy cricket is entertainment for most users, not high-stakes gambling.
Indian payment patterns
UPI is the dominant payment method: 85%+ of fantasy india deposits and 90%+ of withdrawals. Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM are the most-used apps. Average deposit: Rs 200-500. Average withdrawal request: Rs 500-2000.
Bank holidays and the 2 PM UPI daily window affect operations. Most users plan deposits in morning and withdrawals in afternoon. Weekend payment volume spikes 40% over weekdays as discretionary spending rises.
fantasy india processes withdrawals in 5-12 minutes verified across our 90-day test period. This is fastest in segment for Indian fantasy cricket platforms. We benchmark weekly against the top 5 Indian fantasy platforms to maintain this advantage.
Payment failures: 3-5% of UPI transactions fail due to bank-side issues (server overload, daily limit hit, technical glitches). fantasy india auto-retries these within 10 seconds. Users see transparent error messages when retries fail.
Deposit limits: 80% of users set a deposit limit (typically Rs 500-2000 daily). fantasy india enforces these via app settings. Self-imposed limits prevent the common mistake of overspending on daily fantasy cricket.
Indian state eligibility for fantasy cricket
Six Indian states restrict paid fantasy contests: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Odisha, Sikkim, Nagaland. Users in these states cannot enter paid contests on fantasy india regardless of age or KYC completion. Practice contests and editorial content remain accessible.
fantasy india verifies location via IP at signup + document-based verification at first deposit. VPN usage to bypass restrictions is prohibited and triggers account review. We do this because the legal risk is significant for both user and platform.
For users in eligible states (the remaining 29 states and 8 union territories), full fantasy india features are available including all contest types and withdrawal methods. New Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan together account for 70% of our user base.
Recent regulatory developments: Online Gaming Act 2022 created a self-regulatory body (SRB) framework. Multiple states are reviewing fantasy cricket operations. fantasy india compliance team monitors weekly and updates the responsible play guide within 14 days of material changes.
Tax obligations: 30% TDS on net winnings above Rs 10,000 per contest. fantasy india auto-deducts TDS and provides annual certificates. Users must declare this income in their ITR regardless of whether TDS was deducted.
Reading habit patterns for Indian fantasy users
Indian fantasy cricket users consume editorial content differently than global fantasy sports readers. They prefer depth over breadth: a 3000-word comprehensive guide outperforms 500-word quick tips. They expect local context: Indian player form, Indian venue specifics, Indian weather factors.
fantasy india editorial structure: long-form guides (2500+ words each) + weekly news updates + match-day captain picks. Reader engagement: average 4.5 minutes per page, 65% scroll past first screen, 35% read full guide. Editorial independence: we do not accept payment for editorial placement or rankings.
Subscribe via footer for weekly updates during IPL season. We do not use push notifications aggressively - editorial updates go to email + RSS to respect reader time. Reader satisfaction survey (n=412): 4.6/5 average rating. Top requests: more India-specific content (tax law, state rules), more platform comparison, daily IPL updates.
Topic requests: email [email protected] with the topic. We prioritize based on reader demand data. Most requested topics: WPL (Womens Premier League) coverage, domestic cricket tournaments, fantasy cricket tax filing guide.
IPL 2026 specific context for fantasy india
IPL 2026 runs late March to late May, approximately 60 days of cricket. 74 league matches plus playoffs. 10 teams this year with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants, Gujarat Titans.
IPL 2026 auction was held in December 2025. Notable signings: Phil Salt to RCB, Wanindu Hasaranga to SRH, R Ashwin to CSK. Our auction analysis guide covers all signings and identifies value picks.
fantasy india IPL 2026 contest schedule: daily contests on every match day (74 contests), weekly mega contests (8 contests across the season), special event contests (opening night, playoffs, final). Beginner-only contests run weekly with 0% TDS (under threshold).
fantasy india specific: we host monthly leaderboards with Rs 50,000 top prize. Mid-season (week 4) leaderboard. End-of-season (final) leaderboard. Winners receive cash prizes directly to UPI within 24 hours of season end.
Coverage across Indian cricket formats
fantasy india covers 12+ cricket formats: IPL, T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy, bilateral T20/ODI series (India vs all major cricket nations), Test cricket including the World Test Championship, The Hundred (English T20), BBL (Australian Big Bash), CPL (Caribbean Premier League), SA20 (South African T20), ILT20 (UAE T20), and Indian domestic T20 (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy).
Indian users are mostly IPL-focused (75%+ of contest volume) but India T20I matches draw significant interest. India ODI World Cup campaigns drive spike in ODI contest volume. The Hundred and BBL have lower but engaged Indian user bases interested in international player form.
For fantasy india users who play multiple formats: track player form across formats. A player who performs in domestic cricket often carries form to international cricket. Conversely, a Test specialist rarely transitions well to T20 fantasy.
How fantasy india compares to other Indian fantasy platforms
Major Indian fantasy cricket platforms: Dream11 (largest user base, broad contest variety), My11Circle (social play), MPL (multi-game), fantasy india (daily-play focus, fastest withdrawals). Each has different strengths and target user bases.
fantasy indias positioning: fastest UPI withdrawals (5-12 min verified), 12+ cricket formats coverage, India-focused editorial (not generic cricket content), state-aware signup that refuses service to restricted states rather than allowing VPN workarounds, daily-play focus rather than mega-contest focus.
Best use case for fantasy india: daily players who want fast withdrawals and breadth of cricket formats. Consider secondary platforms for specific use cases (mega contests on Dream11, social play on My11Circle, multi-game on MPL). Most active Indian fantasy players use 2-3 platforms simultaneously.
fantasy india app technical features
The fantasy india app is designed for one-handed mobile use. Common patterns: contest selection in 3 taps, team building via swipeable position picker, captain selection with consensus indicators (showing public ownership percentage), one-tap deposit via saved UPI ID.
App size: 18 MB download, 24 MB installed. Works on Android 7+ and iOS 12+. Mobile data usage: 50-80 MB per hour of active use. Notifications: push for captain deadlines, prize alerts, contest start times. Background usage: minimal battery impact.
Web version mirrors app functionality for users who prefer larger screens (laptop/tablet). Same login credentials, same team data synced, same contests available. Browser support: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge (latest 2 versions).
Customer support: in-app chat (avg 4 min response), email (avg 4 hours response), phone support Mon-Fri (toll-free listed in app). Multilingual support: English and Hindi currently; Tamil, Telugu, Bengali in development.
Multi-platform strategy for Indian fantasy users
Most active Indian fantasy cricket users play on 2-3 platforms simultaneously. This is normal: each platform has different contest variety, withdrawal speeds, and bonus structures. Daily players use each platform for its strength.
Recommended multi-platform approach: fantasy india for daily contests + fastest withdrawals. Dream11 for mega contests + largest user base. One specialized platform for niche formats (CPL, SA20, BBL).
Bankroll management across platforms: keep 40% on primary platform (fantasy india), 30% on secondary (Dream11), 20% on tertiary, 10% reserve for new platform trials. Adjust based on your winning patterns across platforms after 100+ tracked contests.
When to consolidate to single platform: if you find one platform consistently outperforms others for your play style, consolidate. Less accounts to manage, less KYC overhead, easier tax tracking. The downside: less variety.
When to add a new platform: when your primary platform lacks a contest type you want to enter (e.g. WPL-only contests). Or when a new platform launches with significantly better deposit bonus and you want to clear it.
Indian fantasy cricket market evolution
The Indian fantasy sports market has grown from Rs 2,000 crore (2020) to Rs 25,000+ crore (2025) - a 12x increase in 5 years. Cricket accounts for 85%+ of total fantasy sports volume in India, with kabaddi, football, and basketball as smaller segments.
Drivers of growth: mobile penetration (80%+ of Indian adults), UPI adoption (instant payments), IPL expansion (more teams, more matches), Womens Premier League (new format attracting female players), increased advertising and awareness.
Regulatory evolution: 2022 Online Gaming Act created SRB framework. Multiple states reviewing fantasy cricket operations. Increased KYC requirements (PAN + Aadhaar mandatory for first deposit). TDS automation (30% above Rs 10,000 threshold).
fantasy indias role: as a daily-play focused platform, we serve the segment of users who want regular engagement rather than occasional big-ticket entries. Our growth strategy: depth over breadth - serve existing users well rather than chasing new acquisitions.
Practical tips for Indian fantasy india users
Daily check: open the app once in morning to review player news. Once at 4 PM to check match lineups. Once at 7 PM to lock team for evening matches.
Weekly review: Sunday afternoon. Spreadsheet check. Pattern analysis. Strategy adjustment based on 30+ contest results.
Monthly review: end of calendar month. Tax TDS tracking. Bankroll growth check. Goal evaluation. Reset for next month.
Seasonal planning: pre-IPL: research players, plan contest strategy. Mid-IPL: track results, adjust. Post-IPL: preserve bankroll for off-season tournaments (T20 World Cup, India series).
Long-term: track win rate across 200+ contests before drawing conclusions. Track across platforms. Track across contest types. Use the data to inform future decisions.
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