How to Play Predictor — IPL Match Prediction Game

Predictor is CricketDream's free match prediction game. Before each IPL game locks, you answer five questions about what's going to happen. Get them right and you earn points — use your Power Play wisely and you can double down. It's fast, fun, and rewards cricket knowledge over luck.

What Is Predictor?

Predictor is a group prediction challenge for IPL matches. A host creates a Predictor game, selects upcoming matches, and shares a 6-character invite code. Everyone in the group makes five predictions before each match — predictions close 1 hour before match start. Match Winner: +100 for correct, −100 for wrong. All other questions: +100 correct, no penalty for wrong. The leaderboard updates after every match and the best predictor wins bragging rights.

The 5 Prediction Questions

Every match has exactly five questions. You must answer all five before predictions close (1 hour before match start):

1. 🏆 Match Winner — which team wins the match
2. ⭐ Man of the Match — who takes the MOM award
3. 🏏 Most Runs — which player scores the most runs in the match
4. 🎳 Most Wickets — which bowler takes the most wickets
5. 🔢 First Innings Runs — what range does the first innings total fall in (20-run bands: e.g. 160–179)

How Scoring Works

Match Winner: correct +100 pts, wrong −100 pts. All other questions (MOM, Most Runs, Most Wickets, First Innings Runs): correct +100 pts, wrong 0 pts — no penalty. Each question is binary correct or wrong. For the runs question, your 20-run band must contain the actual total (e.g. if you predict 160–179 and the team scores 172, that's correct). Maximum without Power Play: 500 pts per match (5 correct × 100).

What Is Power Play?

⚡ Power Play is an optional boost that only applies to the Match Winner prediction. When you use Power Play on Match Winner: correct earns +200 pts and wrong costs −200 pts. The game creator decides how many total Power Plays each player gets for the league — from 0 (disabled) up to the number of matches. You can use at most one Power Play per match.

How to Create a Predictor Game

1. Go to cricketdream.in/predictor and click "Create Game"
2. Enter a game name and set the maximum number of players
3. Select the upcoming IPL matches you want to include
4. Set Power Play count per player (0 = disabled, up to number of matches selected)
5. Review and create — you'll get a unique 6-character invite code
6. Share the code (WhatsApp, copy link) with your friends

How to Join a Predictor Game

1. Go to cricketdream.in/predictor and click "Join Game"
2. Enter the 6-character invite code from your host
3. You're in — the game appears in your Predictor dashboard
4. Submit your 5 predictions for each match before predictions close (1 hour before start)

Predictor Strategy Tips

1. Anchor on match conditions

Check pitch reports, venue history, and weather before predicting. Spin-friendly pitches favour bowlers — go for a spinner on Most Wickets. High-scoring grounds justify aggressive first-innings run range predictions.

2. Be very careful with Match Winner

Match Winner is the only question with a penalty (−100). Only pick the team you genuinely believe in. A wrong Match Winner wipes out 10 correct answers on other questions.

3. Power Play only when highly confident

Power Play (if enabled) only applies to Match Winner and doubles the stakes to +200/−200. Only use it when your confidence is very high — a wrong PP costs −200 pts.

4. First Innings Runs — pick conservatively at first

The 20-run band for first innings runs has no penalty for wrong — it's a free swing. IPL totals cluster between 150–200. Start with the middle range (160–179) for unfamiliar venues.

5. Watch the leaderboard gap

If you're ahead, play it safe on Match Winner to protect your position. If you're behind, use your remaining Power Plays aggressively on matches you're most confident about.