Former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta has joined hands with Mobile Premier League (MPL) for the upcoming Indian T20 League 2021 season as a fantasy expert. The season resumes in the UAE, with the first match between Mumbai and Chennai to be played in Dubai. The final will be played on October 15 in Dubai as well.
What is Fantasy Cricket?
Fantasy cricket, as the name suggests, is an online fantasy game where you can create a virtual cricket team of 11 players from an upcoming real-life match. The process of playing a fantasy cricket match is quite simple. Your main objective is to score as many points as possible and achieve a position on the leadership board by beating your opponents.
Deep Dasgupta decipher the points system In MPL Fantasy Cricket
The Captain gets 2 points while the vice-captain gets 1.5 points and the runs they score in the game get multiplied by the respective points. Every player in the playing XI gets 4 points each. Every run is 1 point, every wicket is 25 points, every catch eight points, and every caught and bowled gets 33 points each.
Stumping and direct hits have 12 points each. As a batsman, if you get out on a duck you get -2 points.
**Players taking more than 3 catches will also get 4 points as a 3 Catch Bonus. For example, if a player takes 6 catches, he/she will not get 8 points.
Bonus Points
Batting – Every four has 1 bonus point and a six has 2 bonus points each. If you score 30-plus runs as a batsman then you get 4 bonus points. If the batsman scores a fifty you get 8 bonus points and if he scores a hundred the bonus points extend to 16.
Bowling – Every maiden over has 12 bonus points. LBW/Bowled a bowler gets 8 bonus points. 16 points for fifers, 8 points for four-fers, and 4 points for three-fers.
Fielders – Every fielder has a chance to earn bonus points for their respective team. For three catches there are 4 bonus points. Every bowler earns 6 bonus points for an economy rate of less than five. An economy rate between 5-5.99 earns 2 bonus points while in excess of sic gets you 2 bonus points. The bonus points can be negative if a bowler’s economy rate is more than 10.
| Type of Points | T20 | ODI | Test | T10 | 100-ball |
| Selected in starting XI | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4 |
| Each run scored | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Each wicket taken (excluding run outs) | +25 | +25 | +16 | +25 | +25 |
| Each catch taken | +8 | +8 | +8 | +8 | +8 |
| Caught & Bowled | +33 | +33 | +24 | +33 | +33 |
| Stumping/Direct Run Out | +12 | +12 | +12 | +12 | +12 |
| Run Out* (Thrower & Catcher) | +6 each | +6 each | +6 each | +6 each | +6 each |
| Dismissed for 0 (except bowlers) | -2 | -3 | -4 | -2 | -2 |
*In case a run out involves 3 or more players from the fielding team, points will be awarded only to the last 2 fielders who touch the ball.
For batsmen, there is another way of earning bonus points based on the strike rate. A strike rate of above 170 earns you 6 bonus points. Between 150-170 earns you 4 bonus points and a strike rate between 130-150 earns you 2 bonus points.
It has a negative side as well. A strike rate less than 100 earns you -2 points and between 50-50.99 equals – 4.
Economy Rate:
| Type of Points | T20 | ODI | Test | T10 | 100-ball |
| Minimum overs bowled by player to be applicable | 2 overs | 5 overs | NA | 1 over | NA |
| Below 5 runs per over | +6 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 5 and 5.99 runs per over | +4 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 6-7 runs per over | +2 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 7-8 runs per over | NA | -2 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 8.01-9 runs per over | NA | -4 | NA | NA | NA |
| Above 9 runs per over | NA | -6 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 10 and 11 runs per over | -2 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 11.01 and 12 runs per over | -4 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Above 12 runs per over | -6 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 3.5 and 4.5 runs per over | NA | +2 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 2.5 and 3.49 runs per over | NA | +4 | NA | NA | NA |
| Below 2.5 runs per over | NA | +6 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 7 and 8 runs per over | NA | -2 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 8.01 and 9 runs per over | NA | -4 | NA | NA | NA |
| Above 9 runs per over | NA | -6 | NA | NA | NA |
| Below 7 runs per over | NA | NA | NA | +6 | NA |
| Between 7 and 7.99 runs per over | NA | NA | NA | +4 | NA |
| Between 8 and 9 runs per over | NA | NA | NA | +2 | NA |
| Between 14 and 15 runs per over | NA | NA | NA | -2 | NA |
| Between 15.01 and 16 runs per over | NA | NA | NA | -4 | NA |
| Above 16 runs per over | NA | NA | NA | -6 | NA |
If the strike rate falls below fifty it gets the player -6 points. The batsman needs to play a minimum of 10 balls each and this particular bonus points system is eligible for batsmen, wicket-keepers, and all-rounders and not for bowlers.
Strike Rate (Excluding Bowlers):
| Type of Points | T20 | ODI | Test | T10 | 100-ball |
| Minimum balls faced by a player to be applicable | 10 balls | 20 balls | NA | 5 balls | NA |
| Above 190 runs per 100 balls | NA | NA | NA | +6 | NA |
| Above 170 runs per 100 balls | +6 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Above 140 runs per 100 balls | NA | +6 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 170.01-190 runs per 100 balls | NA | NA | NA | +4 | NA |
| Between 150-170 runs per 100 balls | +4 | NA | NA | +2 | NA |
| Between 130-150 runs per 100 balls | +2 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 120.01-140 runs per 100 balls | NA | +4 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 100-120 runs per 100 balls | NA | +2 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 60 and 70 runs per 100 balls | -2 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 50 and 59.99 runs per 100 balls | -4 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Below 50 runs per 100 balls | -6 | -2 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 40 and 50 runs per 100 balls | NA | -2 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 30-39.99 runs per 100 balls | NA | -4 | NA | NA | NA |
| Below 30 runs per 100 balls | NA | -6 | NA | NA | NA |
| Between 70 and 80 runs per 100 balls | NA | NA | NA | -2 | NA |
| Between 60 and 69.99 runs per 100 balls | NA | NA | NA | -4 | NA |
| Below 60 runs per 100 balls | NA | NA | NA | -6 | NA |
Deep Dasgupta concluded by saying that fantasy cricket is all about a pinpoint understanding of the game and being quick and clever with the players you choose.
