Practically there are 110 ways that can help select a captain and vice-captain from a team of 11 fantasy cricket players. However, why it is important to select the best from the pool, is the question.

In normal cricket, the decision of choosing the team’s leader and his deputy should be taken based on real data and predicting how they handle the tough situations in and out of the field. However, a fantasy league is a different game altogether where the registered users will earn points on the basis of the performances of the players in a real match. Here the strategy should be to choose a player who gets more chances to score more fantasy points so that you will get benefitted as a user.

So, what are the criteria for choosing the best captain and vice-captain in fantasy cricket? Let us find out the answer.

The IPL T20 fantasy is all about earning points to rise up the points ladder. As the captain gets double the points and the vice-captain gets 1.5x times the points scored, here is how to choose the leaders for your fantasy team:

First and foremost, make sure that the chosen players for the captain and vice-captain positions are not injured or anything and are playing on match day. This information will be easily available on news websites like Cricbuzz five hours before the commencement of the match.

Do not take chances as the leaders are crucial for earning more fantasy points. So, the players must be physically fit and more importantly in good form. Dramatically, a bad-performing batsman can come back to his form on any day and perform well in a cricket fantasy league, but chances are rare.

When choosing a batsman as the captain for your fantasy cricket team, consider whether he is an established player and his reputation of scoring big runs for his team in the recent past. The players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Kane Williamson are always good bets for the leadership position. They are prolific hitters, construct their innings well, and have all the capabilities to play for 20 overs at a stretch.

If you are thinking of making a domestic player the captain who does not have any international exposure, then you should know the domestic players well. A local lad who has a tremendous domestic record can be a good choice too. Usually, a player who is unnoticed by the audience can be a big match-winner on any given day. Players like Sanju Samson can make a difference to your T20 fantasy team as he is a top-order batsman and a wicket-keeper. He gets more chances to earn more points for the team. Also, players like Nitish Rana and Mayank Agarwal have proved to be match-winners in the past.
While considering the bowler as the captain, consider if he can pick up multiple wickets with a good economy rate. As T20 fantasy cricket is all about scoring runs, the batsmen can come hard at the bowlers. So, it will be a tough decision to make. The players like Rashid Khan and Ravichandran Ashwin can be good choices as they have maintained good economy rates and have taken consecutive wickets in their respective IPL careers. Due to the uncertainty, many people hesitate to consider a bowler as captain or vice-captain for their team.

All-rounders can become the best captain and vice-captain because they can earn fantasy points in both innings with bat and ball. You earn points if they make runs while batting and get benefits if they take wickets through their good performance in bowling. Ravindra Jadeja, Sunil Narine, and Ben Stokes are good choices.

Wicket-keepers are the best fit to lead your fantasy cricket team. They too can earn points in both innings with their keeping and batting. If they wish they can bowl as well. Sanju Samson, Quinton de Kock, and M S Dhoni fit well for the position.

Mitigate the risk of choosing the wrong captain and vice-captain

Make four different combinations to reduce the risk of choosing the wrong leader and his deputy. In worst cases, any one combination can earn you more points so that you can cover up the losses.

Know the exact playing 22 hours before the match and plan you’re playing 11 by choosing the good players. Remember, if you choose the rested player, you get zero points. So, rely on trusted news websites and decide the players.

The simple strategy would be to select players as captain and vice-captain based on the time they get to bat and bowl on the field, and how he utilizes the opportunity to score more points. Finalize the players by considering their form and mentality.

Conclusion

Never think emotionally about your favorite or experienced players. The IPL T20 fantasy league will bring you points only if the real players perform on the match day. So, make a strategy, work on it, and earn more points in fantasy cricket.