What is Fantasy Cricket? – All you need to know

Fantasy cricket has become extremely popular in recent times. Millions and millions of people are playing it on a daily basis and are earning through it. For some, fantasy cricket has completely changed their lives as they have won amounts in lakhs and even crores. This has led to many pursuing fantasy cricket as a full-time career option. 

The popularity of fantasy games has been growing tremendously. It has been reported that out of all the fantasy sports, cricket has the largest base in India. A 30-50% increase in users is reported every year for fantasy cricket, and it is noted that soon there will be about 1000 Million followers of fantasy cricket. 

There seem to be a lot of questions that people have regarding fantasy cricket. In this blog, we aim to tell you everything there is to know about fantasy cricket. We will be covering topics like what fantasy cricket is, how it works, how you can play it, and what are its various benefits.

By the end of this blog, you will know all these details and also know answers to some much-asked questions like whether fantasy cricket is safe to play, whether it is legal, and how you can make a career in it.

So let’s answer all these questions and dive straight in!

What is Fantasy Cricket?

Fantasy Cricket is a completely online-based platform where you can create a virtual team of cricket players and invest in matches. It is a strategy-based sports game that allows you to compete with others and earn real money. 

Fantasy cricket allows you to be a part of the live matches by putting your skills to the test, from the comfort of your home. It is your own version of a cricket match and you feel much more connected to the game.

Your objective is to select the best possible playing 11 from two opponent teams playing, score the highest points, beat your competitors, and win money. This sounds easy, right? But it is not so simple. 

Contrary to popular belief, fantasy cricket is not wholly dependent on luck but actually requires skills and knowledge. While making your team, you need to do proper research and analyze key data points like:

• pitch conditions, 
• team squad, 
• venue analysis,
• player battles,
• past performances of teams, etc for each match. 

So winning in fantasy cricket is not just by a stroke of luck, but actually takes a lot of hard work. 

How does Fantasy Cricket work?

Now, after getting to know about fantasy cricket, you might be tempted to understand how fantasy cricket works. 

You might get confused at the start, but it is pretty simple to understand the working of fantasy cricket. 

Here are 3 simple steps which will explain you in brief:

Step 1: You need to select a match you want to invest in.

Step 2: Create your virtual team from the 22 players playing the match.

Step 3: Join your suitable contest.

Each player from your team gets a certain number of points according to his on-field performance. You need to select a vice-captain and a captain as well for your team. Your vice-captain gets 1.5x points, while the captain earns double the points. 

In the end, the points of your whole team are added up which is compared with the points of your competitors, and accordingly, you are given a rank. If your rank is that of a winner, you win otherwise you lose. 

There are many different types of contests that are available in fantasy cricket for a particular game. Some contests are free, while you need to pay an entry fee to join others. The entry fee starts from around Rs.10 to up to even in lakhs.

It depends on the type of contest, and how many members are playing in it. A prize pool is created from all the entry fees, and it is distributed among the winners accordingly. 

The competitions are usually divided into two leagues:

1. Grand League: These are big member leagues that have a large number of people ranging from 50 to thousands. Due to the number of participants, these leagues’ competition is very high. A participant is also allowed to create several teams and can enter the same contest multiple times.
   
2. Small League: These contests start from 2 member leagues, which are head-to-head, and go up to 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. The competition here is less and it can be said that investing in a small league is relatively safer. 

The concept behind fantasy cricket is to create an online or virtual space where fans can come together to invest in games, and compete with each other. It offers fans to earn money and win prizes from something that they feel passionate about. 

How to play Fantasy Cricket?

After understanding the working of fantasy cricket, let us now see how we can actually play it. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Pick a Platform

Choose an application of your choice from the internet and download it.

2. Add Money to your Wallet

After you have installed the application, you need to add money to your playing wallet to be able to invest in games. There are many ways through which you can add money like directly from your bank account, through UPI, through credit/debit cards, etc.

3. Choose a Contest

Search for the different contests that are available on the day you want to play. Pick your suitable contest.

4. Create a Team

Once you have chosen a contest, create your strongest possible team. 

5. Invest

When you have your team ready, all you need to do is invest the entry fee for the contest to join it. 

6. Verification

To be able to withdraw your match winnings, you need to verify your bank account and your personal details on the application.

7. Withdrawal

Finally, after your verification is done, you can directly withdraw your match winnings to your bank account. 

Benefits of Fantasy Cricket

Playing fantasy cricket can be highly rewarding and has even changed the lives of many for good. Here are some of the many advantages playing fantasy cricket offers:

• You learn more about cricket as you are closely following the game,
• Your interest in the sport remains and you are able to enhance your analytical knowledge,
• It makes you more competitive,
• You learn about investing and how to manage money,
• It helps you with your researching skills as you need to do some research for making a team,
• You can play it with your friends so it is a great way to stay in touch and have fun together,
• It is very easy to play,
• You can play it from the comfort of your home as it is an online game,
• You get to earn real-life money and prizes,
• You can use this platform to earn a side income and provide for your expenses,
• You can even make a full-time career in this.

Is Fantasy Cricket safe?

Yes, most fantasy cricket platforms are completely safe. For withdrawing money from the platform, they check for your age and your identification. You need to get your KYC done and your bank details need to be verified. All the transactions are 100% secure, and they are completed quickly. You are also provided all the transaction details, in case of any complications.

But we must warn you to play and invest in fantasy cricket at your own risk. It can be addictive so you must play cautiously and invest wisely. 

Is Fantasy Cricket legal in India?

This is a matter which created a lot of controversies and knocked on the doors of the courts of India. The Supreme Court of India has said that fantasy cricket is legal as it is based on skills and not on luck or chance. However, currently, states like Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Odisha, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh have banned the use of fantasy games. It is legal to play in all other states of India. 

How to make a career in Fantasy Cricket?

Well thinking about taking fantasy cricket as a career option is something that is very tricky and is highly subjective to the person. Just like in life, fantasy cricket has a lot of ups and downs, where sometimes you can win big, and sometimes you lose big. 

But it is possible for one to make a career in this. Follow the steps given below:

1. Have a proper investment plan.
2. Make strategies on how you want to play and which games you want to invest in.
3. Invest in grand leagues rather than small leagues.
4. Join multiple contests for a single match so that your win percentage remains high. 
5. See this as long-term and not short-term. 
6. Have patience and be ready to accept your losses. 
7. Never invest all your money in one match. Always have some backup.

Conclusion

The concept behind fantasy cricket was to provide an opportunity for cricket lovers to enjoy the game even more and earn money through it at the same time. 

The world of fantasy has seen a tremendous rise in recent times, and popular cricketing figures like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Saurav Ganguly, KL Rahul, Yuvraj Singh, etc, are being associated with these brands. 

The working of fantasy cricket allows you to feel more connected with the game. But all being said, one needs to seriously be careful while playing it. The game can be highly addictive and you can face substantial losses as well. Do not try to recover all your losses at once. It is always advised to make a proper investment plan, play wisely and remain free of any risks. 

So play well and win big!

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