As the twelfth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to begin on March 23 2019, cricket buffs are excited to live through the cricketing extravaganza through the grueling ‘Fantasy League’.
What is IPL Fantasy League?
IPL Fantasy League is a virtual game in which the participants create their own team and buy real life players of different IPL teams with virtual currency. The virtual participants accumulate points based on the performance of real players including scoring runs, taking wickets, holding catches, maintaining high strike rate, low economy rate, forcing run-outs etc.
The participants are provided with $10 million to assemble their playing XI. However, at the end of the tournament, the participants can win real prizes or money.
How has it grown?
IPL launched the ‘Fantasy League’ in 2013 season to involve the fans into the game in a greater way increasing the digital engagement of this cricketing carnival. In the inaugural season, the Fantasy League experienced a huge success with 550,000 people around the globe participating in the platform.
How to Play?
To play the ‘Fantasy League’, the participants have to register themselves first at the official website of IPL and create their own teams with emblem, name, and motto. The participants can play in ‘Daily Challenges’ or in ‘Fantasy Championship’.
The users have to pick the players with their fixed purse of $10 million. They have to include minimum four batsmen, one wicket-keeper, at least one all-rounder, minimum two bowlers and one uncapped player in their playing XI. The participants can afford to have maximum five batsmen, five bowlers and four maximum all-rounders in the team.
In case of ‘Daily Challenge’, the participants have to select the players from the two teams that are playing, while the users can choose their teams from all the players in ‘Fantasy Championship’. Only six players can be included from a single team in ‘Daily Challenge’ and the teams are needed to form half an hour prior to the match and the participants can play all the matches of that IPL season.
Post team selection, the participants have to finalise the captain of the side from ‘Powerplay’ which double his points.
The Point Distribution
The participants can earn one point per run, three points per six and two points per four. They also can accumulate points based on the strike rate of the batsmen, while five points are deducted for each duck. The users can further fetch 10 points as 'Milestone Bonus' for scoring every 25 runs.
In bowling aspect, every dot ball earns a point for the participants, while twenty points are awarded for every wicket and every maiden over. The participants can gain extra ten points for the second wicket and subsequent wickets taken while further 25 points are awarded for a hat-trick. If the bowler can maintain a low economy rate, the participants will collect points accordingly.
In terms of fielding, the participants can acquire 10 points for both catch and run-outs while the wicket-keeper can fetch 20 points for each stumping. In case of direct-hit, 15 points are awarded.
When a real-life player is declared ‘Man of the Match’, 25 additional points are awarded. All the players of a winning squad earn five points in the group league, while the points increase to ten in the knockout stage.
Where to play?
The participants can play ‘IPL Fantasy League’ at the official website of IPL that is iplt20.com.
