Fan view: How to kickoff IPL Fantasy season in style?

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The IPL has gone into the second half of its initial ten-year plan, and it has to be said that the high-profile tournament has passed the test of time with flying colours. The early years included several teething problems, which in a way turned out to be beneficial in that all the parties had to undertake corrective measures to keep the show going on smoothly. On the administration side, the BCCI had its issues with franchises but most of them were resolved in an appropriate manner. As far as the franchises are concerned, they had to constantly revisit their plans in terms of marketing, controlling spending and strategy.

One thing though has stuck with the IPL throughout its remarkable journey. The fans. They have been a very vital part for the success of this cricketing extravaganza. Apart from enjoying from the stands, the fans are in for a treat due to IPL’s own fantasy game. The IPL fantasy League provides the common man a realistic experience of owning a team as well as the exciting feature of its of winning daily prizes. All these put together just enhance the already eccentric Indian Premier League.

The IPL is back and so is the fantasy. Who to pick? Why to pick? Should Gayle be picked or Hussey? Raina or Jadeja? Will Maxwell be a good choice? Rohit as power player? Narine or Mishra? Is Morkel playing? Pieterson injured? Oh god why, I had chosen him in my fantasy team. These are just a few common statements that IPL fantasy users bring about.

So do you actually pick? We all know that there are three kinds of challenges. The Daily Challenge, the All Star and the Fantasy Championship. We won’t be going deep into the rules but I would show you how you could play it intelligently.

IPL Fantasy Daily Challenge :

The Daily Challenge is basically a contest in which you choose your eleven for the day. You’re allowed maximum 6 players per team and sometimes when there are double headers, it’s wise to have a good mix of players from all the teams playing. So let’s first have a look at the starting match of the IPL-

For Instance, here is my team for the opener between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians:

The people chosen by me for Mumbai Indians are somewhat a revelation. So no doubts on that. As far as KKR are concerned I did make some cheeky choices. Why I didn’t choose Gambhir? Well,Mumbai generally open with spinners and that’s Harbhajan. The ball turns away so he’d generally struggle. Also, if he does score a few runs, he’d be too slow and that wouldn’t help.

Kuldeep Yadav is the surprise package. The lanky turner could come in handy for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Oh yes, I didn’t choose Malinga. Well, I thought he’d be a tad shaky since it’s his first match and moreover I don’t think he would be that effective as he usually settles down and then performs exceedingly well in the tournament. So that’s all for the Daily Challenge.

Tip: Don’t use players who are too costly. And even if a Gayle or a Maxwell goes berserk, don’t worry. In the daily challenge, the points count up only to that particular day. Also, make wise choices for the uncapped Indian player. If possible, pinch in more than one if you can so that you can spend extra on the biggies.

IPL Fantasy | All Stars:

Personally, this is my favourite challenge of the lot. We get to choose all our favourite players who we think could have an impact towards the game. And the best part is there is no budget at all. So you can go hammers and tongs over who you want and who you don’t want.

I have gone for a few consistent performers who have time and again proven their worth for their respective franchises. Shane Watson who is featured in Sportwak list of X factors is my power player as he could dismantle any bowling attack on his day and he is an extremely good death bowler too.

Tip: Don’t go for big hitters like Kieron Pollard or Corey Anderson as they don’t always perform. And I know all of you must be wondering why I didn’t chose Rohit Sharma or a Chirs Gayle. Just wait as I would answer all the possible questions in the end. Go for who you feel would be consistent performers. I for one have gone with not even a single spinner as I think that others would be far inconsistent given that they bowl predominantly in the middle overs. And yes, do remember it’s for the whole tournament.

The IPL fantasy league:

Clearly the toughest of the lot, the IPL fantasy league involves a lot of strategy. I have gone totally the opposite of what I had with the All Star. No quickie at all. With 75 transfers allowed that is 1.5 transfers per match almost, there is room for change. But it’d be better if you go with people who could be match winners. And be very careful as to who you choose. If you end up paying for a player who costed you a lot but ended up not playing, you will lose a fair bit of points. But don’t loose heart, it is throughout the tournament and you do have time to recover.

Tip: Yes, you do have transfers. But that doesn’t mean you should keep using them. Save it for the last few matches as you would know who is doing well and who is not. Also, ensure that you put in a few uncapped players like Sanju Samson who for the matter is bound to perform as he has the dual role of a wicket keeper and a batsman.

Now I would explain as to why I did a few things and why I didn’t include a few players.

Q.) So why did I not include Chris Gayle in any of my teams?

We all know that the IPL is held in sub continent conditions. The past few months have shown us a different type of a Chris Gayle. A Gayle who plodded more than his usual vigour with powerful strokes. This clearly indicated his weakness in sub continental conditions. This was more so evident in the recently concluded World T20. He just couldn’t handle these conditions and it troubled him even more when there were bowlers who could turn the ball a tad bit especially away from him. And with the almost all the teams having atleast one quality spinner in their ranks, I decided to leave him out. But.. But.. I may still include him come the final stages as there is no bigger stage for him to prove his critics wrong and he might after all set alight the Gayle Storm.

Q.) Why didn’t I include MS Dhoni in even one of my teams?

MS Dhoni is known for his batting but he rarely does bat in the IPL. He more or less plays the role of the finisher and therefore he hardly plays 15 balls every innings. This means he doesn’t get you much points while batting. Plus he is a wicket keeper, not even a bowler. That takes getting wickets out of the equation. Yes, he is the captain of the team. But that doesn’t matter much. And even if you choose him as your power player which means his points would be doubled, you don’t get much of points. That’s the reason why I didn’t include him.

Q.) Why did I not include any big hitting all rounder like a Pollard or a Anderson in my all star team?

Yes, the all rounders are very good in their game. But is it every game that they play a blinder? Well, no. Also, they are not bowlers who’d get you a few wickets every other match. This means it boils down all to their fielding. Come on. A Pollard or a Anderson won’t get 5-6 catches every match. Well, I needn’t say much more, do I?

Q.) Why isn’t there a McCullum or a Smith or a Du Plessis who are world renowned for their hard hitting and consistency in this form of the game?

Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith and Francois Du Plessis are all t20 experts. But the team that they play for, Chennai Super Kings are known to make vague squad selections. So at anytime, any one of them may have to bow out. This means I would’ve wasted precious points that day. Hence, I’ve decided to not include them.

Q.) Who are the uncapped Indian players to include and who are the ones who have played a considerable amount of the IPL but shouldn’t be included?

This answer has two parts. First let’s look at a few players who should be a must.

Suryakumar Yadav: A very consistent batsmen in the domestic circuit, he would most probably be in the mix of the things for the Mumbai Indians.

Sanju Samson: Everyone knows about this young Keralite and his exploits in the last IPL. I needn’t say anything about him.

Baba Aparajith: A very important member of the Under-19 World Cup winning team in 2012, Aparajith could fill the void left open by Badrinath’s absence in the CSK dug out and also he could pinch in a few overs with his handy off spin.

Unmukt Chand: Captain Marvel himself. Chand is a very good opening batsman who has proved himself in the domestic circuit and was also the captain of the victorious under-19 team of 2012.

Kuldeep Yadav: Supposedly a very good spinner who can prove to be quite a lethal weapon in square turners, Kuldeep would be a key for his franchisee.

Who not to include:

Shadab Jakati: A left armed who has played a lot for the Super Kings, this Goan shouldn’t be on your team for the mere fact cause there are a lot of left handers and they would relish his bowling as the ball would come into them.

Shahabaz Nadeem: The same reason as above.

Well, it guess that’s enough of IPL fantasy. Now it’s your turn to decide on your team and it’s success. Happy Fantasying! Hopefully, I will be coming with more pieces on IPL Fantasy if you love this one and do check out on Sportwalk’s Super Predictor contest.