How to Play Fantasy Cricket Draft — The Complete Guide

Fantasy cricket has come a long way from simply picking 11 players on your own. The Draft format adds a whole new dimension — you compete directly with friends to claim the best players before they do. This guide covers everything you need to know to start playing and topping the leaderboard in fantasy cricket draft games.

What Is Fantasy Cricket Draft?

In a standard fantasy XI, every player can pick the same star players — everyone has Virat Kohli in their team, everyone picks Jasprit Bumrah. Draft fantasy cricket is different. Each player can only be picked by one person in your group. If your friend grabs Rohit Sharma first, you can't have him.

This makes every pick meaningful. You're not just building the best XI possible — you're building the best XI available to you, while blocking opponents from getting the players they want.

How the Snake Draft Works

CricketDream uses the snake draft format, the most popular and fairest draft system in the world. Here's how it works:

1. Pick order is randomly assigned before the draft starts — e.g. Player A, B, C, D
2. Round 1 goes in order: A picks first, then B, then C, then D
3. Round 2 reverses: D picks first, then C, then B, then A
4. Round 3 goes forward again: A, B, C, D
5. This 'snake' pattern continues until all squads are filled

The snake format ensures that picking last in one round means picking first in the next, balancing out any advantage from going early.

Setting Up a Draft Game

1. Go to the Draft section and click Create New Draft
2. Choose the match you want to draft for
3. Set the squad size (5 to 11 players) and max participants
4. Set time per pick — 30 to 120 seconds works well for live drafts
5. Share the invite link with your friends
6. Once everyone joins, the room creator starts the draft

Captain and Vice-Captain

After the draft, you can assign a Captain (2× points) and Vice-Captain (1.5× points) from your drafted squad. This is where you can pull ahead on the leaderboard — picking the right captain is often the difference between first and fifth place.

• Pick your captain based on match conditions and current form, not reputation
• A top-order batsman in a high-scoring venue is a safer captain pick
• An in-form all-rounder (bat + bowl) gives you captain points from two disciplines
• Avoid captaining a bowler in a flat pitch or a batsman in a bowler-friendly pitch

Draft Strategy: How to Top the Leaderboard

Know the Playing XI Before You Pick

Always check playing XI announcements (usually 30–60 minutes before the toss). Picking a player who ends up sitting out is wasting a draft slot.

Balance Your Squad

Don't load up on batsmen. In T20s, wickets, economy rate, and catches all score big points. A quality bowler or all-rounder often outscores an average batsman.

Target Value, Not Stars

In a 5-pick draft, you can't get 5 top stars — someone will grab them before you. Plan your picks in advance. If Kohli goes first pick, know your second choice before the timer starts.

Block Opponents

Watch what your opponents are building. If they have 3 batsmen, taking a 4th quality batsman — even if you didn't plan to — can hurt them more than it helps you.

Fantasy Points Scoring

• Runs: 1 point per run. Bonus for 50s (+15 pts) and 100s (+30 pts)
• Boundaries: +2 per four, +4 per six
• Wickets: 25 points each. Bonus for 3-wicket haul (+15 pts) and 5-wicket haul (+25 pts)
• Catches: 10 points, stumpings: 10 points, run-out (direct): 10 points, run-out (indirect): 10 points. Bonus: +10 for 3+ fielding credits in a match
• Strike rate bonus: +8 pts if SR ≥ 170, penalty: −6 pts if SR < 70
• Economy bonus: +12 pts if ER < 5, penalty: −6 pts if ER > 12
• Captain scores 2×, Vice-Captain scores 1.5×