Data driven fantasy cricket

Fantasy cricket is serious business. Just ask any experienced fantasy cricket player how they pick their team, and you will rarely be told that it’s based on gut feeling or instinct. Every season, more than 1.8 million fans across India draft their fantasy lineups with the same seriousness and devotion as a manager selects a team for a real match. Ahead of every match, serious players sit down and look at what the stats are telling them. Player form, venue history, along with team-on-team and player-on-player match-up data help paint a realistic picture that players study before locking in their team for the game. Rarely, if ever, is selecting players a matter of gut feeling, sentimentality or because of the lucky number on the back of their jersey. 

There is nothing quick about gaining fantasy cricket knowledge. It comes from building things up one match at a time. Through diligence and dedication, it eventually becomes a habit. It’s not glamorous, but to those who enjoy the game, it is necessary and worth the time. It also fosters good instincts beyond the realm of cricket — the kind that make you stop and check data before blindly trusting an unfounded recommendation.