Fantasy Cricket is probably the easiest gateway into online gaming in India — everyone watches IPL, and Dream11 makes it simple. Here's my step-by-step beginner guide:
Step 1: Understand the basics
You pick 11 players from the 2 teams playing in a real match. Your players earn points based on their real performance (runs, wickets, catches, etc). Highest total points wins.
Step 2: Budget allocation
You have 100 credits to spend on 11 players. Star players cost 9-11 credits; lesser players cost 7-8. You can't pick all stars — budget management is key.
Step 3: Team composition rules
- Min 1, Max 8 players from either team
- Pick 1-4 WK, 3-6 BAT, 1-4 AR, 3-6 BOWL
- Choose 1 Captain (2x points) and 1 Vice Captain (1.5x points)
Step 4: Choosing Captain (MOST IMPORTANT)
Captain choice is literally 50% of whether you win or lose. Pick a player who'll either score big runs OR take multiple wickets. All-rounders are great captain picks because they earn points in multiple ways.
Step 5: Contest selection
- Free contests — Start here. No risk, learn the format
- Head-to-Head (₹25-49) — Play against one person. 50% win rate
- Small leagues (₹25-99) — 3-10 people. Good odds, decent prizes
- Mega contests (₹49+) — 10,000+ people. Hard to win but massive prizes
Start with free contests → H2H → small leagues. Don't touch mega contests until you've played 50+ matches.
Full tutorial: PG7 Fantasy Sports Guide