Fantasy cricket is often considered a skilled-based game where the users create a virtual team of real-life players playing an actual match to participate in a contest or a league. It is also a platform that provides an opportunity for the players to make the best use of their knowledge and understanding of the game in order to defeat their opponents and win exciting cash rewards. Since cricket is the most popular sport in India, Fantasy Cricket has grown exponentially over the last few years, especially since the 2020 Lockdown period. Today, there are several online gaming platforms and apps that offer Fantasy Cricket to their user base or audience.
Fantasy Cricket doesn’t revolve around batsmen, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, and bowlers, there is a very important thing that controls each player and has an effect on the outcome of the match is the pitch. Pitch always plays an important role in determining the outcome of the actual game. The pitch can either favour the batting line-up or the bowling line-up, it all depends on the condition of the pitch. Thus, the pitch can have a major influence on how the batsmen or bowlers perform in the game. The importance of knowing the pitch is not just important in actual matches, but in Fantasy Cricket as well. By being the manager or owner of the fantasy cricket team, you have to keep an eye on the performance of the real-life players before selecting them for your team. However, it is important to know the playing conditions or the pitch report.
If you want your fantasy cricket team to perform better than others in a league or contest, then you need to understand the conditions of the pitch and the pitch report. For that, you need to know about the different types of pitches that are used in cricket.
Here are different types of pitches
- Flat Pitches
Flat Pitches are often known for batting-friendly pitches and don’t give an advantage to the bowlers. Thus, matches played on the dead pitches are the high-scoring ones. For flat pitches, pick four batsmen who have been performing well in recent games and are in good form. Top-order batters are likely to face more balls as compared to middle-order batters and can give you more points. Rather than picking more bowlers in your fantasy cricket team, consider selecting the all-rounders as they can help you get more points on flat pitches.
- Green Pitches
Green Pitches are the favourite pitch for fast bowlers. These pitches will help the pacers to demonstrate their excellence by both swing and pace deliveries. In Green Pitches, you can pick openers, but make sure that you select middle-order batsmen. Importantly, your fantasy team should have at least three proper fast bowlers if you want your team in green pitches. Moreover, select an all-rounder who is a seamer as it will help you earn more fantasy points. These players will help you score runs and even may end up helping you win the contest or league. Fast bowlers always have an edge over the batsmen in green pitches.
- Dusty Pitches
Dusty Pitches are favourable for spin bowlers as such pitches are soft and unrolled. In these pitches, a spin bowler with great skill can take host wickets. However, these pitches are easier to bat as compared to flat and green pitches as in this wicket bounce can be predicted by the batsmen. While playing on dusty pitches, you must have top-order batsmen who can play well against fast bowlers. Moreover, select a middle-order who has a good track record against spinners. Pick an all-rounder who is a spin bowler so that it will help you earn extra points in Fantasy Cricket. Most importantly, you need to have two spin bowlers than fast bowlers in such pitches.
- Slow Pitches
Slow Pitches usually have slow bounce and are slow in nature. On such pitches, it is easier for the batsmen to score quickly but the bowlers need to bowl in the right areas to take wickets. The ball may not come to the bat quickly on a slow pitch as compared to a flat pitch. This means batsmen should stick defensive approach to their batting and wait for the right ball to attack. In such pitches, you need to pick batters who are patient enough to play the right ball. Slow Pitches could be advantageous s to the bowlers if they can use the lack of pace and bounce to their advantage. Therefore, pick at least three fast bowlers in your team who can deliver the bowl in good line and length on slow pitches.
