The game of cricket has been in existence for centuries now, enthralling fans, players, and sports enthusiasts all over the world. Today, many other cricket formats have come up. They are fantasy cricket and real cricket. Fantasy Cricket is a virtual cricket game where you create a team of cricket players from a pool of cricketers and earn points according to their performances in a match. Real cricket is played by two teams across various formats on a standard pitch, following specific rules of play. There are T20s, ODIs, and Tests today in real cricket. But what separates these two formats even more and makes a proper difference?

We see some of the key and major differences between fantasy and real cricket in the log below.

Key differences between the real and fantasy or virtual cricket formats

• Real cricket is played by a team of 11 cricket players on an actual cricket pitch. Fantasy cricket is a virtual game where participants create cricket teams of real cricket players and earn points based on the real-life performances of the players in official matches, contests, or tournaments.
• In real cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules and regulations are followed by all cricket players and teams during official matches. In fantasy cricket, though similar rules apply, they are applied in a modified manner to suit the virtual playing format.
• In real cricket, matches are played between two teams, each with 11 players. The match results are decided according to the performance of the teams through batting, bowling, wicketkeeping, and fielding. In fantasy cricket, participants earn points based on the actual performance of the players selected in real matches. The points are awarded for runs, wickets, catches, and other match statistics.
• Fantasy cricket aims to score more points as users and participants in the game get excitement and engagement from the fans. They can track the on-pitch performances of their chosen players across different matches. In real cricket, everything happens in real time as the match progresses. Winners are decided after the match based on the score, either via wickets, runs, run rate, or other factors.

Strategies for winning in fantasy cricket games

Fantasy cricket is played on a fantasy platform and is all about strategic planning, thinking, and execution. These steps can lead to great results with great execution of the plans. First things first.

• Conduct thorough research to gain deep insights into your fantasy cricket details. Research precedes all strategies, as it lays the groundwork to help select the best team. It is vital to do research about matches, contests, leagues, opponents, scoring, and ranking systems. These are points you can start with in your research. The recent playing form of the teams, head-to-head record of the teams, match venue record and analysis, weather and pitch report analysis, key cricket player battles, and best performing players of the team.
• Selection of the best players: Picking the best talented players to make a virtual cricket team is very important. Pick highly talented and skilled players to be part of your team, including bowlers, batsmen, wicketkeepers, and great fielders. A good team needs the capacity to take wickets and also score runs to secure their winning positions.
• Time contest joining while avoiding head-to-head contests. Joining match contests or games in advance increases the chances that opponents may not update their teams after the toss. Moreover, avoiding playing head-to-head contests increases your chances of staying profitable. It happens that when you win, you don't win big, yet if you lose, you lose big. By limiting member contests in small leagues, you increase earning opportunities.
• Make multiple teams for matches and update teams after a toss. Fantasy cricket allows entries to be made multiple times in contests. All the teams must be different, with different captains and vice captains. This backs up losing with one team and enables winning with the other. Besides, updating the team after the toss is crucial. Pick the best players who are playing and change strategy according to the batting team line-up.

Conclusion

There are now two shades of grey when playing real or fantasy cricket. The two formats are poles, yet the entertainment value generated seems to match. However, fantasy cricket today generates a mystique kind of desire for participants as they can play and earn from their passion. Think11 is a fine fantasy sports app in India for cricket fans to apply their cricket knowledge and earn some money in the process.