You’d never think a cricket crazy country would need an adrenalin shot but the impact that Fantasy Cricket is having on the sport is nothing short of remarkable.
Everything today is engagement. Not only do fans want to engage with their favorite players via social media but, sports fans today want to be engaged with every match that is being played and Fantasy Sports is proving to be the vehicle to do just that.
What is Fantasy Cricket? It’s simple. You sign up on a website, make your best XI team comprising of the players playing and the actual performance of the players in the match results in you getting points. For e.g. if a player in your team gets a wicket you get 20 points, scores a century you get 25 and so on.
While fantasy cricket has been around for a few years what is changing the dynamics for cricket fans is daily fantasy and with it the chance to win prizes and yes, even money.
Take the India-Pakistan match tomorrow. It is estimated that the Baadshah Gaming will be overflowing with fans creating their fantasy teams for the rivalry. Websites restrict the number of players you have from one country. So, every Indian must have Pakistani players in their fantasy squad.
Here begins the conflict. Indian fans who are Fantasy Players are going to be torn. While they will obviously want India to win the match there will be group that will be thrilled if Mohammad Amir takes 5 wickets. A bigger conflict is that fantasy players that don’t have Virat Kohli in their team will actually be hoping that Kohli gets out early. Can you imagine Indian fans cheering when Kohli gets out for single digits? Believe me it happens.
Daily fantasy also allows you to win big. For a small fee, players can participate in a league and if their team does well they can win cash prizes.
As a fan, the experience is exhilarating. The emotional roller coaster that fantasy players feel brings a whole new dynamic to watching the game. Navroze Malkani, a casual cricket fan, says that he finds himself following even the most irrelevant matches because he has a private fantasy league with his friends. “I have started watching a lot more cricket because of the ego battles with my buddies, plus it is fun to win in the overall leagues” says Navroze.
With digital access and competition in the space growing by the day, Fantasy websites like Baadshah Gaming are coming up with innovations like the Chhota Game. A variant of the regular fantasy, which allows you to play leagues for short periods of the match.
There is no doubt that Fantasy Cricket is here to stay. Dealing with the conflict of cheering for your team as well as cheering for select players from the opposition is something that fans will have to come to terms with.
