Salary cap mastery: build a balanced XI

What the salary cap is

Every fantasy cricket platform has a salary cap. Most Indian platforms use 100 credits. Each player has a credit cost based on their base price and recent form. The salary cap forces trade-offs: pick 4 stars at 11 credits each and you have 56 credits left for 7 players, average 8 credits each.

Why the salary cap matters

The salary cap is the supply-side constraint of fantasy cricket. With no cap, every XI would pick the 11 highest-scoring players. The cap forces you to leave at least 30-40% of the credit budget for non-stars. The disciplined XI allocates 45% to 4 stars, 35% to 3 strong-second tier, 20% to 4 differentials.

The 4-3-4 split (4 stars + 3 mid + 4 differential)

4 stars × 11 credits = 44 credits (44%). 3 mid-tier × 9 credits = 27 credits (27%). 4 differentials × 7 credits = 28 credits (28%). Total: 99 credits — within the cap. The 4-3-4 is the standard XI shape.

The 3-4-4 split (3 stars + 4 mid + 4 differential)

For a contest-heavy bankroll approach: 3 stars × 11.5 credits = 34.5 (35%). 4 mid × 9 credits = 36 (36%). 4 differential × 7 credits = 28 (28%). Total: 98.5 credits. The 3-4-4 spreads risk wider; better for H2H and small grands.

The 5-3-3 split (5 stars + 3 mid + 3 differential)

For an aggressive mega contest: 5 stars × 10 credits = 50 (50%). 3 mid × 10 credits = 30 (30%). 3 differential × 7 credits = 21 (21%). Total: 101 — slightly over cap; trim by 1 differential to 4-3-3 = 50 + 30 + 21 = 101 → trim differential to 6 × 3 = 18; 50+30+18 = 98.

Star tier identification

A star is a player with credit cost ≥ 10.5. Stars are typically top-order batsmen, frontline bowlers, and international all-rounders. They carry the highest ceiling but also the highest ownership. Stars are typically 30%+ ownership.

Mid-tier identification

A mid-tier is a player with credit cost 8.5-10.4. Mid-tier are typically second-tier batsmen, frontline spinners, and rotation bowlers. They carry moderate ceiling and moderate ownership (10-25%). Mid-tier provides the ladder between stars and differentials.

Differential identification

A differential is a player with credit cost ≤ 8.4. Differential are typically uncapped players, in-form domestic talents, and impact players. They carry the highest variance and the lowest ownership (typically under 8%). Differentials are the contest-winning picks.

Mandatory role distribution

Most platforms require a minimum distribution: at least 3 batsmen, at least 3 bowlers, at least 1 all-rounder, at least 1 wicket-keeper. Some platforms enforce 1 wicket-keeper + 1-3 all-rounders specifically. The salary cap framework must respect the role distribution first.

Captain and vice-captain cost

The captain and vice-captain counts come from the 11 XI players — they are not extra picks. The captain pick cost is the same as any other player; the only difference is the multiplier on fantasy points. Spend the captain budget on your best role-fit player, not your most expensive.

Salary cap in different platform formats

Dream11 uses 100 credits. My11Circle uses 100 credits. MPL uses 100 credits. Vision11 uses 100 credits. The credit scale is consistent across platforms; only the per-player credit assignments differ. A player who is 11 credits on Dream11 may be 10 credits on My11Circle.

Editing teams for captain swap

Some platforms (Dream11 in some contests) allow captain swap mid-match. The swap does not change the salary cap. If your captain is yet to bat when your swap candidate is playing, you can pivot. Read contest-specific rules before assuming a swap is allowed.

Editorial salary cap strategy

For most contests: 4-3-4 split with stars on captain, mid-tier on VC. For mega contests: 3-4-4 with differential on captain. For H2H: 5-3-3 with high-ownership star on captain. The split depends on contest type, bankroll, and risk tolerance.