Why the underlying cricket still matters
The baj999 Cricket Guides hub exists for fantasy players who want to understand the cricket, not just the fantasy game. The guides cover the basics — what a powerplay is, where the field positions sit, what a strike bowler's role is — in the depth that fantasy decisions require.
Each guide is evergreen: it does not update week-to-week, but the desk refreshes examples and diagrams when the league's playing conditions shift.
The four player roles in T20 cricket
Batters, bowlers, all-rounders and wicketkeepers — the four roles in T20 cricket, with a plain-language description of what each role does.
Batters
Specialists who bat in the top order (openers, number three, number four) and may bowl part-time overs. Most fantasy platforms allow up to four specialist batters in the XI.
Bowlers
Specialists who bowl their full four overs. A typical T20 XI has three or four bowlers — two or three pace bowlers, one or two spinners — plus the captain's choice of a fifth bowler.
All-rounders
Players who bat in the top six AND bowl two to four overs. The safest fantasy slots, but rare — pick them carefully when they are available.
Wicketkeepers
Specialists behind the stumps who may bat anywhere from number four to number eight. A wicketkeeper-batter at number four is a different fantasy player than one at number seven.
Reading a field-placement diagram
The standard cricket field has 30 named fielding positions, but most fantasy-relevant reads come down to a few key ones — third man, point, cover, mid-off, mid-on, square leg, fine leg, deep mid-wicket. Knowing where each position sits helps the reader understand the captaincy call when a bowler is "attacking the batter" or "defending the boundary".
The baj999 field-positions guide walks through each key position with a diagram, the typical role, and the batting matchup that drives a bowler to set that field.
See the latest match reportsWhat the powerplay is, and why it matters for fantasy
The powerplay is the first six overs of a T20 innings, when only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Most T20 teams score 50–60 runs in the powerplay; teams that score 70+ in the powerplay usually go on to post totals of 180+. Powerplay performance is a measurable indicator of how the innings will unfold.
For fantasy players, the powerplay matters because the openers and the strike bowlers who operate in the powerplay carry the highest-leverage slots. The baj999 powerplay desk reads the powerplay performance for each franchise and logs it with the source.
Why the death overs are a separate skill
The death overs — overs 17 to 20 — are a separate skill. A bowler with a good yorker under pressure is worth 30+ points in a single over; a bowler who loses the plot at the death loses the match.
Yorker specialists
Bowlers who can hit the yorker at the death are the highest-value death bowlers in T20. They restrict the scoring rate and pick up the wickets when the batter swings for the boundary.
Slower-ball bowlers
Bowlers who can vary their pace with slower balls and cutters are the second tier of death bowlers. They are effective against batters who struggle with the change of pace.
Death-over batters
Batters who finish the innings well — strike rate above 150 in the last five overs — are the highest-value death batters. They carry the points when the innings accelerates.
Reading chase math, over by over
Chase math is the desk's shorthand for the run-rate calculation that decides a chase. A team chasing 180 needs 9 runs per over for 20 overs, but the realistic math requires more in the powerplay (above 9) and more in the death (above 11). Reading chase math helps the captaincy desk decide whether to pick a powerplay striker or a death-overs finisher as captain.
The baj999 chase-math desk logs each franchise's chase record at each venue and reads it against the dew forecast. When dew is heavy, the desk defaults the captaincy call to the chasing side.
A short reading list for new fantasy players
A reading list for fantasy players who are new to the IPL or new to baj999. Each link below leads to a guide that covers the basics in plain language.
1. How the points are calculated
Read the scoring desk first. The math is visible, the worked examples are plain-language, and the milestone bonuses are tabulated.
2. Role balance, the first habit
Read the role-balance framework. Build the bowling unit first, then the batting lineup. The discipline is the habit.
3. How the captaincy call is built
Read the captaincy method. The captain's points are doubled — the highest-leverage choice in any fantasy XI.
4. The four-block franchise frame
Read the franchise desk. The likely XI, the bowling unit, the bench, the form tracker — the same four blocks for every team.
5. Reading players by role
Read the players desk. Batters, bowlers, all-rounders and wicketkeepers — each role is read separately, with workload tracking.
6. The lock-in window
Read the live-matches desk. The lock-in window is the decision window — confirmed XI, toss, dew, late fitness news.
What to read alongside the Cricket Guides hub
The Cricket Guides desk is most useful when read with the Fantasy Tips hub (for role balance) and the Fantasy Scoring hub (for points math).
A note on cricket fundamentals
Most fantasy mistakes are made because the captain does not understand the underlying cricket. The baj999 cricket guides hub exists for fantasy players who want to read the basics — what a powerplay is, where the field positions sit, what a strike bowler's role is — in the depth that fantasy decisions require.
Readers who use baj999 as a research base should read the role-by-role fundamentals before they read the captaincy desk. Understanding the cricket is what makes the captaincy call pencil out.
Why the underlying cricket still matters for fantasy
Most fantasy mistakes are made because the captain does not understand the underlying cricket. The baj999 cricket guides desk treats the fundamentals as the foundation for every fantasy decision.
Powerplay
The powerplay is the first six overs of a T20 innings, when only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Most teams score 50-60 runs in the powerplay.
Middle overs
The middle overs — overs 7 to 16 — are when spinners take wickets and dot-ball percentage matters most. A spinner with a good middle-overs economy is the highest-value bowling slot in this phase.
Death overs
The death overs — overs 17 to 20 — are when the batting side is maximising its score. A bowler with a good yorker under pressure is the highest-value bowling slot in this phase.
A short reading path for new fantasy players
Where to start if you are new to fantasy cricket or to baj999's editorial coverage.
1. Read the basics
Open the cricket guides hub. Read the role-by-role fundamentals, the field positions and the powerplay theory.
2. Read the scoring desk
Open the fantasy scoring hub. Run the math for a worked example — a fifty, a five-wicket haul, a catch at slip.
3. Read the captaincy desk
Open the predictions hub. Read the captaincy call and the venue read for an upcoming match.
Cricket fundamentals, answered
What is the powerplay in T20?
The powerplay is the first six overs of a T20 innings, when only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Most teams score 50–60 runs in the powerplay; 70+ is a marker of an aggressive top order.
What is the death overs phase?
The death overs are overs 17 to 20, when the batting side is maximising its score and the bowling side is trying to restrict it. Specialist death bowlers with a good yorker are the highest-value bowling slots in this phase.
Why does dew matter so much in evening T20?
Once dew arrives in the second innings, the ball becomes harder to grip for spinners and easier for fast bowlers with a wet-ball yorker. The chasing side usually has a measurable advantage on a dewy evening.
What is a death-over batter?
A death-over batter is one who finishes the innings well — strike rate above 150 in the last five overs. They carry the points when the innings accelerates, and they are the highest-value batting slots in the XI.
What is the difference between a powerplay striker and a death bowler?
A powerplay striker is a batter who scores quickly in the first six overs, while a death bowler is a bowler who restricts the scoring rate in the last four overs. Both roles require a specific skill set, and both are the highest-value slots in fantasy.
Understand the cricket, and the fantasy game follows
Use the baj999 Cricket Guides hub to read the underlying cricket, and the fantasy game becomes easier to reason about.