Tools editorial

Fantasy cricket tools — research utilities on the betwinner desk

Every tool on this desk is a researcher's worksheet, not an external service. They run in your browser, store nothing, and require no account.

Start reading Brand-intent coverage

Editorial standards

18+ only State eligibility verified before play Real-money fantasy risk disclosed No guaranteed winnings Independent of brand advertising

A frame for tools

Tools on this desk are organised by editorial decision, not by feature. Each tool is named after the question it answers — for example, the Pitch Checklist answers "what does the surface actually look like?"

Pitch assessment checklist

Compact cricket pitch-assessment kit on real turf with moisture meter, soil probe, and cricket ball

Fourteen items to run before any toss

Surface type — black soil, red soil, or hybrid.
Grass cover — visible green or worn early.
Cracking pattern — visible or still moist.
First-innings average — venue-specific, last five matches.
Boundary dimensions — long square vs short square.
Outfield speed — fast outfield adds 6-10% to boundary count.
Dew forecast — second-innings probability.
Wind — direction matters more than speed.
Cloud cover — affects swing and seam.
Match-up history — last five of this franchise at this venue.
Pitch report — if released by the venue.
First-bat or chase history — venue-specific.
Average powerplay score — venue-specific.
Average death-overs economy — venue-specific.

Points calculator

Analyst calculating cricket outcomes with blank number tiles and a calculator with display turned away

How the editor desk uses a calculator

A calculator is for sanity-checking, not for predicting. The desk uses it to confirm the math after a captain pick — not to set the captain pick in the first place.

Lineup builder worksheet

A lineup builder before the lock

Pick 4 batters, 3 all-rounders, 3 bowlers, 1 wicketkeeper.
Set the captain + vice-captain pair from the differential list.
Add one anchor on the bench — usually the most likely impact-player substitute.
Lock the lineup 10 minutes before the deadline.

Cricket enthusiast arranging anonymous player-role cards on a magnetic tactics board at home

Captaincy worksheet

Set the captain pair, with reasoning

Identify the two players whose role produces the most points at this venue.
Read the differential list and pick one captain from each side.
Apply the four-refresh rule — refresh the lineup at most four times.
Lock the lineup 10 minutes before the deadline.

Workload tracker

A workload tracker reads recent overs and balls faced. The desk caps the tracker at the last three matches.

Recent overs 12+ Workload ceiling

Recent balls faced 70+ Workload ceiling

Recent wickets 2+ Matchup fit

Recent economy <7.5 Match fit

Scoring reference

Action	Points (T20)	Action	Points (T20)
Run	+1	Wicket (excl. run-out)	+25
Four	+4	LBW / Bowled bonus	+8
Six	+6	Maiden over	+4
30 run bonus	+4	Catch	+8
Half-century	+8	3-fer	+4
Strike rate ≥ 170 (min 10 b)	+6	Economy ≤ 6 (min 2 ov)	+6
Duck (batter / wk-batter)	-2	Economy ≥ 11 (min 2 ov)	-2
Run-out (fielder)	+6 / +12	Run-out (batter)	-4

Archive and history

Every published tool sits next to an archive of past versions. The desk publishes a new version whenever the underlying scoring table changes.

How to use these tools

Pick one tool per editorial decision. A lineup decision needs the lineup builder and the captaincy worksheet; a surface decision needs the pitch checklist and the workload tracker.

Limits

These tools will not predict the winner of a T20 match. They will not replace reading the venue and the conditions. They will, however, move a fantasy lineup from "first guess" to "audited pick" before the lock.

Frequently asked

Editor answered questions.

Short answers drawn from the coverage above.

Do these tools require an account?

No. Each tool runs as a worksheet in your browser. The desk does not store any data entered into them.

Are the tools external?

No. Each tool is published on this site and runs from the same codebase.

How often is the scoring reference updated?

The scoring reference is updated whenever a major fantasy platform revises its points table. Past versions are archived.

Where does the workload tracker get its data?

The workload tracker reads from public ball-by-ball feeds. The desk never relies on scraped social posts.

Can I use these tools on mobile?

Yes. Each tool is a worksheet that scales to a phone screen.

Continue with tools.

Walk back to the home editor desk or open another tools resource.

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A tool for every decision

Match each decision to the right worksheet.

Match each editorial decision to the tool the desk uses for that decision — and avoid using a tool outside its scope.

Reading the venue

Pitch assessment checklist.

14 items to run before any toss. The first read before any prediction.

Reading the players

Role-balance worksheet.

Maps a probable XI to expected fantasy points across all 11 slots.

Setting the captain

Captaincy worksheet.

Assigns the captain + VC pair before the lineup is locked. The four-refresh rule caps the worksheet to four revisions.

Setting the bench

Bench and substitution tracker.

Tracks impact-player scenarios and bench anchors. One anchor on the bench is the desk's recommended default.

Reading the workload

Workload tracker.

Reads recent overs and balls faced. Flags workload ceiling before flagging surface fit.

Walking a prediction

Five-pass methodology worksheet.

Surface pass, squad pass, head-to-head pass, matchup pass, dew pass. One pass per line, in order.

When to use each tool

A lineup decision needs the lineup builder and the captaincy worksheet. A surface decision needs the pitch checklist and the workload tracker. A scoring decision needs the points calculator and the scoring reference. Match each editorial decision to the right worksheet.

What the tools do not do

The tools do not predict the winner of a T20 match. They do not replace reading the venue and the conditions. They will, however, move a fantasy lineup from "first guess" to "audited pick" before the lock.

Common mistakes the desk sees across the IPL beat.

Mistake A — Skipping the venue read.

Reading a fixture without a venue read is reading a match as if all venues are the same. They are not. Subcontinental black soil and red soil produce different bowling plans at different overs. Always read the venue first.

Mistake B — Trusting the headline bonus number.

The headline bonus number is rarely the final number. A bonus with 10x rollover returns roughly half its face value to the visitor. Compare offers on the post-rollover value, not the headline.

Mistake C — Skipping KYC until the first withdrawal.

Skipping KYC until the first withdrawal creates a verification gap at the worst time. Complete KYC before the first deposit, not after the first withdrawal.

Mistake D — Side-loading an APK on Android.

Side-loading an APK bypasses the platform's signature verification. The desk recommends official app store installs only — every time.

Mistake E — Following a login link from an SMS, email, or social DM.

A login link from an SMS, email, or social DM is rarely the official channel. Bookmark the URL by typing it manually. Search-engine results can lead to lookalike sites.

Mistake F — Reusing the password across platforms.

A reused password compounds a breach. Use a unique password per platform — never reuse, never share.

Mistake G — Indecision at the lineup deadline.

The four-refresh rule caps indecision at the deadline. Refresh the lineup at most four times in the last 30 minutes. Lock the lineup once.

Mistake H — Treating pressers as marketing copy.

A presser usually leaks 2-3 lineup signals if read carefully — a player's workload ceiling, a role change in the batting order, or an overseas-player preference. Read the presser before reading the social feed.

Mistake I — Treating dew as noise.

Dew is the single largest second-innings variable in the IPL. A heavy dew reduces grip by 8-12% in the second innings and can flip a chasing favourite into a defending favourite.

Mistake J — Picking a captain by name recognition.

The captain doubles the points that player already produces. Pick the captain whose role produces the most points per ball faced or bowled at this venue. The captain is a 2x multiplier, not a name.