Fantasy Cricket Points
The Cross-Format Fantasy Cricket Points System
Most fantasy cricket scoring guides are written for one format at a time. This page works across all three — what the core actions are worth, where captain and vice-captain multipliers land the points, and where T20, ODI and Test cricket quietly diverge on the same scorecard.
Page contents
The Actions That Score Across Every Format
Runs, boundaries, sixes, wickets, catches, stumpings. These are the actions every fantasy platform scores, regardless of format. The base points are stable — what changes is the rate at which they happen. A T20 batter hits a six roughly every 12 balls; a Test batter might hit one every 80. Same point value, very different return over a match window.
| Action | Base points | Format context |
|---|---|---|
| Run scored | +1 | Same value across T20, ODI and Test. Volume of runs matters more in longer formats. |
| Boundary bonus | +4 per four | A flat four in T20 is worth the same flat four in ODI or Test. The frequency, not the value, is what shifts. |
| Six bonus | +6 per six | Six bonus applies across formats. Six-hitting rate is a T20-relevant signal that fades as formats lengthen. |
| Wicket taken | +25 | Same base value everywhere. LBW and bowled bonuses stack on top, which becomes the differentiator in Test cricket. |
| Catch | +8 | Catches score the same regardless of format. Slip cordon reads stay valuable across T20, ODI and Test. |
| Stumping | +12 | Wicketkeeper stumping bonus is format-agnostic. Keeper picks who bat up the order compound this with batting points. |
For the league-specific T20 numbers — death-over economy bonuses, Impact Player scoring, and the strike rate bands most relevant to a packed IPL week — the IPL points system page is the right reference. The numbers below and above stay useful across formats.
Captain and Vice-Captain Multiplier Math
Captain picks earn 2x the final tally, vice-captain picks earn 1.5x. Multipliers apply at the end of the match — they do not stack on each action, they multiply the row total. The captain slot is the single most leveraged decision in a fantasy XI, and getting the math honest is the first step toward using it well.
| Raw match score | As captain (2x) | As vice-captain (1.5x) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 points | 80 points (2x) | 60 points (1.5x) |
| 55 points | 110 points (2x) | 82.5 points (1.5x) |
| 70 points | 140 points (2x) | 105 points (1.5x) |
| 85 points | 170 points (2x) | 127.5 points (1.5x) |
The math above is format-agnostic. A 70-point captain is worth 140 in T20, ODI or Test cricket. What changes is how easy it is for a player to reach 70 — that is where the format-divergence table below earns its keep.
Where the Formats Diverge on Points
The base points are stable across formats. The bands around them — strike rate, economy rate, milestone frequency — are not. Four areas move the most depending on whether you are picking for a T20, ODI or Test match window.
Strike rate bands tighten as overs shorten
A T20 strike rate of 110 looks healthy in the scorecard but lands in a penalty band on most fantasy platforms. An ODI strike rate of 90 is neutral, and a Test strike rate rarely scores against a batter at all. Memorise the format-specific bands before picking your XI.
Economy bands reward containment at the shortest formats
T20 economy bands penalise anything above 9 runs per over hard. ODI bands sit around the 5-6 neutral zone with looser penalties. Test economy is rarely scored against a bowler — wickets dominate the points math, not run rate.
Milestone bonuses scale up with format length
A 50 in T20, ODI and Test pays the same milestone bonus. A century bonus pays the same across formats too. The longer the format, the more often these milestones become available — which is why a Test anchor and a T20 opener can both reach a half-century in a single match window.
Strike bowler wickets compound across formats
A 5-wicket haul in T20 is rare and pays a big milestone bonus. The same 5-wicket haul in Test cricket is the dominant route to a top score. Wickets score the same base points in every format; what changes is how often they cluster.
- Multipliers apply to the final tally, not the per-action points. A 60-point captain with a 2x multiplier is worth 120.
- Negative points can outpace positive ones for underperformers. A bowler who concedes at 11+ in T20 can give back more than they earn in wickets.
- Strike rate penalties are the silent leak in many fantasy XIs. A 40-ball 25 looks harmless in the scorecard and costs real points in T20.
- Captain and vice-captain roles are independent — you can captain a batter and vice-captain a bowler, and the math compounds cleanly across skills.
Translate the bands into picks
The points math is the same everywhere. The reads that feed into the picks are what change between formats. For the role-based read that translates these bands into a working XI, the how-to-play walkthrough is the right next page. For a quick cross-check before lock, the Dream XI checklist walks the same bands in checklist form.