IPL Fantasy 2016: Rules, Tips and Top Players to Target
The Indian Premier League’s fantasy squad selector is a wonderful supplement to the action itself, and on the brink of a new edition of this gripping tournament, now is the time to start plotting which players will make up your group.
Some of the finest cricketers from across the globe make up the eight teams on show, meaning those who take part in the fantasy league have a lot of quality to choose from.
However, with two new sides—Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants—involved in the tournament, there’s a lot to ponder ahead of Friday’s opening match.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Here is a reminder of some standard fantasy rules and a closer look at two players who are set to shine in this year’s competition.
Rules
Batsmen: Four or five
All-Rounders: At least one
Wicketkeeper: Exactly one (you can pick variable role wicketkeepers 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.
Deadline: Saturday, April 9, 3:30 p.m.
Full rules on the official IPL website.
Player Picks
Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore - 12
Although he was unable to propel India to glory in the 2016 World Twenty20, Virat Kohli cemented his status as the finest limited-overs player on the planet at the moment.
Indeed, fans of the Royal Challengers would have been watching on excitedly as the batsman played a succession of tremendous knocks for India, whether chasing down a total or putting a score on the board.
Kohli is clearly top class, and he was recognised as such with the Player of the Tournament gong, per the ICC Twitter feed:
For Bangalore, he’ll be seeking to perform similar heroics, and he has a classy batting lineup in support, including the likes of AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle.
It’s a trio—arguably the three best T20 batsmen in the world—that makes Bangalore the favourites for this title. The Royal Challengers have been to the final on two occasions, falling short both times, but with Kohli in such irresistible form, they may well have enough to go all the way this time.
As these numbers from cricket statistician Mohandas Menon illustrate, the Bangalore captain has been in brilliant form on the international stage:
The challenge for Kohli will be to keep the momentum going from the World Cup in a team that has a lot of players who will want to dominate the strike.
Sometimes he may have to play a supporting role to the likes of Gayle and De Villiers if either of those are in a devastating groove. But the adaptability, familiarity and obvious quality of Kohli will make him the most consistent run-scorer in the tournament.
Dwayne Bravo, Gujarat Lions - 12
One of the men who’ll be key to the chances of Gujarat in their debut IPL term is Dwayne Bravo, a player who has excelled in this competition previously.
Last year, the West Indies man was superb with the ball for the Chennai Super Kings. The all-rounder’s variation in his bowling was central to his team’s run to the final, and while they eventually lost out to the Mumbai Indians, Bravo will once again be a force to be reckoned with in the IPL.
As these numbers from the Cricketopia.com Twitter feed show, the Caribbean star is so dangerous with the ball:
"Dwayne Bravo has taken 46 wickets and needs 4 more to reach the 50 wickets milestone. #IND #WT20 #INDvsWI pic.twitter.com/eXAZSC56cI
— Cricketopia.com (@Cricketopia) March 31, 2016"
Additionally, Bravo will be in brilliant spirits when he joins up with the Chennai side. His West Indies team won the World T20 in spectacular style at the beginning of April. The 32-year-old was crucial to their success with the bat and the ball, and he made some wonderful pieces of play in the field, too.
He took 26 wickets in total in the 2015 IPL, more than any other player in the entire competition, and as part of a bowling attack that also contains Dale Steyn this term, expect any batting side that comes up against the Lions to be put under immense pressure. That’s when Bravo’s range of skills will come to the fore and enable him to continue his success in this format.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
