IPL Fantasy 2015: Rules, Tips, Entry Deadline and Top Players to Target
While there are plenty counting down the hours until the start of this year’s Indian Premier League, those who have yet to submit their fantasy team for the 2015 edition of the competition are cutting things a little fine.
But fear not; the game is easy to understand, quick to set up and for the additional interest it’ll spark in your IPL viewing experience, well worth a few minutes of your time. Plus, with all the information included below on what to do, whom to pick and when you need to enter by, most of the hard work has already been done for you!
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Here’s all the details you need on how to get involved in this year’s IPL fantasy competition and a couple of players that you simply must include as you weigh up which 11 stars to purchase with your allotted 10,000,000 fund.
Fantasy Rules
Batsmen: Four or five
All-Rounders: At least one
Wicket Keeper: Exactly one (you can pick variable role wicket keepers as batsmen)
Bowlers: At least two
Overseas Limit: You can pick a maximum of four overseas players in your squad.
Uncapped Quota: Your squad must have at least one uncapped player. An uncapped player is an Indian cricketer who has not played in any ODIs, Tests or T20 Internationals.
Franchise Spread: You can pick a maximum of six players from a single IPL Team.
For full competition rules and scoring system, check out the official website.
The players selected are "locked in" when the first ball of the competition is bowled. The opening match will be played on April 8, 3:30 p.m. BST.
AB de Villiers, Bangalore Royal Challengers - 1,100,000
The South Africa captain may be one of the three most expensive players in the game, but such is his quality, he’s a player you just can’t afford to leave out if you’re wanting to triumph in this season’s competition.
De Villiers’ talent was on show in earnest throughout the World Cup. He’s a remarkable ball striker and a player who needs very little time to settle into a devastating groove. Indeed, even before the tournament got underway, the Proteas skipper was in remarkable form, as was evident when he scored the fastest-ever one-day international century against the West Indies:
In this tournament, De Villiers will be well supported by the likes of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy. With that kind of class in the line-up, it means the South African can play with lots of freedom and that bodes extremely well for those hoping he’s going to score big points in this IPL season.
As noted by Freddie Wilde of ESPNcricinfo, De Villiers isn’t just a player who makes a contribution with the bat, either:
His ability to take catches, grab wickets and keep wicket all mean he’s a cricketer who can secure plenty of points in this season’s competition. But it’s his magnificent batting that makes De Villiers a player who must be included as you look to build a team capable of going all the way.
Trent Boult, Hyderabad Sunrisers - 8,500,000
The World Cup seemed to inspire Boult into realising his true potential, and he’ll be hoping to make a major impression for Sunrisers Hyderabad during this year’s IPL competition.
Along with Mitchell Starc, the Black Caps' left-armer was the the joint-leading wicket-taker during the tournament, taking 22 wickets in New Zealand’s eight matches. Up front, Boult’s belligerent brand of fast bowling often got the co-hosts off to an exceptional start, and he produced big moments for the Black Caps at critical moments.
As noted by BBC Test Match Special, he is a major threat with the new ball:
While the pitches in India are not quite as accommodating to seamers, Boult is a bowler who doesn’t solely rely on pace and bounce to take wickets. Throughout the World Cup, he was able to heap pressure onto opposing batsmen with astute accuracy and with the pressure on for players to score quickly in the 20-over format, he can create chances with similar tactics in the IPL.
As we can see here, courtesy of OptaJim, Boult not only takes wickets, but is capable of tying down an end if needed as well:
Most encouragingly for those who pick Boult, he’s clearly in confident form. The Black Caps star looks poised to open the bowling along with Dale Steyn for the Hyderabad outfit, and those two could potentially cause chaos in the opening overs.
For a fee of 850,000, Boult is one of the more expensive bowlers available, but he is a player well worth the outlay provided he continues where he left off from the World Cup.
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