Fantasy cricket points system explained

Why the points system matters

The points system is the operating manual of fantasy cricket. Every player on your XI is judged by the points table. If you do not know how the points are awarded, you cannot defend a captain pick, you cannot justify an all-rounder over a pure bowler, and you cannot spot a differential captain from a high-ownership scam pick. Below covers the points table line by line.

Run points

1 run = 1 fantasy point. A boundary is 4 fantasy points on top of the 4 runs scored (4 + 4 = 8 total for a four that runs at run-rate). A six is 6 runs + 6 fantasy points, so 12 fantasy points for a six. The boundary and six bonus is what makes powerplay aggressors high-ceiling fantasy players.

Strike-rate bonus

Strike rate is rewarded to encourage risky batting. Below 50 runs scored and strike rate ≥ 170: +6 fantasy points. Strike rate 150-170: +4 fantasy points. Strike rate 130-150: +2 fantasy points. The strike-rate bonus is the lever that turns a 35-ball 50 into a 90-fantasy-point innings instead of a 65-point innings. It rewards the boundary hitter even when the run total looks modest.

Strike-rate penalty

Strike rate is also penalised to discourage dot-ball balls. Below 50 runs scored and strike rate ≤ 70: -2 fantasy points. Strike rate 50-70: -2 fantasy points. Strike rate 70-90: 0 fantasy points (no penalty). The penalty is small enough that a steady anchor scores 0 on strike rate — the penalty does not destroy an innings — but it does reward aggressive openers.

Boundary and six bonuses

Each four: +4 fantasy points. Each six: +6 fantasy points. These bonuses stack with the strike-rate bonus. A batter hitting six sixes in an innings earns 36 bonus points plus the strike-rate adjustment, often lifting the fantasy total to 130+ even on a modest run count.

Half-century and century milestones

50 runs scored: +4 fantasy points bonus. 100 runs scored: +8 fantasy points bonus (replaces the half-century bonus). The milestone bonus rewards longevity — a 70-run innings scores +4, a 110-run innings scores +8 (not +12). Milestone bonuses apply only to batsmen; there is no milestone bonus for wicket-keepers or all-rounders.

Duck penalty

A duck (dismissed for 0) by a batsman or wicket-keeper: -2 fantasy points. All-rounders do not get the duck penalty (they get the wicket-keeper batting credit if they keep; otherwise just the bat). Bowlers get no duck penalty on a 0 scored. The duck penalty is the reason high-risk top-order batsmen score 8 on a bad day rather than 0.

Wicket points

Each wicket: 25 fantasy points. A bowler taking 3 wickets earns 75 wicket points, before strike-rate and dot-ball adjustments. The wicket is by far the highest-use event in fantasy cricket. A 4-wicket haul = 100 wicket points + the bowling strike-rate adjustments = 130-150 fantasy points before any run-scoring contributions.

Bowling strike-rate bonus

Below 5 overs bowled (no adjustment). Wicket rate below 25 (i.e. average wicket every 25 balls or fewer): +8 fantasy points. Below 35 balls per wicket: +4 fantasy points. Below 45 balls per wicket: +2 fantasy points. The bowling strike rate bonus rewards wicket-taking; economy-rate bonus rewards dot balls.

Economy-rate bonus

Economy rate below 5 runs per over: +6 fantasy points. Economy rate 5-6: +4 fantasy points. Economy rate 6-7: +2 fantasy points. The bonus rewards the bowler who can stop runs even without wickets — useful on slow tracks where wickets are sparse but dot balls are frequent.

Economy-rate penalty

Economy rate above 12 runs per over: -6 fantasy points (typically death-overs batting collapses, but bowl-only bowlers rarely cross 12 unless the match is 200+). Economy rate 11-12: -4 fantasy points. The penalty is enough to discourage any frontline bowler from finishing with the most-expensive-over tag.

Dot-ball bonus

Each maiden over: +4 fantasy points on top of economy adjustment. Each dot ball (non-maiden over): +1 fantasy point. A 4-over spell with 14 dot balls earns 14 fantasy points before wickets and economy. A maiden over is rarer than a wicket — but the bonus applies to any bowling spell with at least one over of dots.

Maiden over bonus

Per maiden over bowled: +4 fantasy points (on top of the dot-ball bonus, but no double-count: a maiden over has 6 dot balls giving +6 + +4 bonus). Maiden overs are rare in T20 cricket. They are more common in women's T20 and ODI cricket. The maiden over bonus weighs more in formats where wickets are sparser.

Catch points

Each catch taken: 8 fantasy points. A fielder taking 3 catches earns 24 fantasy points. Catches are high-use because every match sees 6-10 catches across both teams. A safe catcher in the slips or at point is a steady 8-16 fantasy points per match.

Stumping points

Each stumping: 12 fantasy points (compared to 8 for a catch). The bonus rewards the wicket-keeper's specialist skill. Stumpings happen when the keeper stands back to a spinner; expect 1-2 stumpings per match in turning conditions.

Run-out points

Direct hit run-out: 12 fantasy points. Catcher-thrower run-out: 6+6 = 12 fantasy points split between fielder and thrower. The run-out is hard to predict but yields high points for the fielder who pulls off the direct hit. Cap picks of in-form fielders get a run-out boost.

How to use the table

For every captain candidate, run a quick scorecard simulation: their typical innings in this format + this pitch + this opposition × their role weighting. A 60-run innings with 6 fours and 1 six scores 60 + 24 + 6 = 90 fantasy points. Add 4 bonus for 50+ and the total is 94. That is the captain floor; the ceiling is 130 if they cross 80.

What the points table tells you about your XI

If your captain scores above 100, your XI averages 60+ per player — top 10% finish likely. If your captain scores 60-80, your XI averages 40-55 per player — top 30% finish likely. If your captain scores below 50, your XI averages 30-40 — rank 30,000-60,000. The captain pick caps everything.