Fantasy points system: how we calculate points and picks
Every fantasy preview on CricketViz uses the method below, worked out from ball-by-ball records of each player's T20 matches.
Points per match
Each T20 a player has played, in any league or international, is scored like this. It is our summary of a common T20 fantasy scoring system; apps differ, so check the values in the one you use.
| Playing in the XI | +2 |
| Each run | +0.5 |
| Each four / six (bonus on top of the runs) | +0.5 / +1 |
| 50 / 100 runs (highest milestone only) | +4 / +8 |
| Out for a duck | −2 |
| Strike rate (5+ balls): under 70 / 130 and over | −2 to −6 / +2 to +6 |
| Each wicket (not run outs); bowled or lbw bonus | +10; +2 |
| 3 / 4 / 5 wickets (bonuses add up) | +6 / +8 / +10 |
| Maiden over | +4 |
| Economy (1+ over): under 6 / 10 and over | +2 to +6 / −2 to −6 |
| Catch; 3+ catches bonus | +4; +4 to +8 |
| Stumping / direct-hit run out | +6 |
| Other run outs (thrower and catcher not recorded) | +3 each |
| Captain / vice-captain | 2× / 1.5× |
Ball-by-ball records name who ran a batter out but not who threw and who caught, so each player involved in a run out that wasn't a direct hit gets 3 points.
Expected points
- We take a player's last 25 T20s. The newest counts fully, the one before 90%, then 81%, and so on.
- Matches more than three years old count half as much again.
- The result is pulled slightly towards a typical score (about 20 points), as if from two extra matches, so a player with a few big games doesn't look like a star.
- Players with no T20 record in our data, mostly uncapped, get a low estimate and are left out of our picks.
Probable XIs
From each squad we pick the captain first, then the players with the best mix of expected points, experience and selection for that side last season. Each XI follows the league's rules (for example, at most three or four overseas players, or the ILT20's UAE and Afghanistan quotas) and has a wicketkeeper and five bowling options where the squad allows. The real XIs are only known at the toss.
Suggested fantasy XI
From both probable XIs we choose the 11 players with the highest expected total under the usual fantasy rules: at most 7 from one side, 1–4 wicketkeepers, 3–6 batters, 1–4 all-rounders and 3–6 bowlers. The two next-best teams are shown as alternatives. The fantasy team builder does the same with the players you pick.
Captain and vice-captain
- The captain earns double points and the vice-captain one and a half times, so we make the two highest expected scorers captain and vice-captain.
- We simulate the match 4,000 times, drawing each player's score from their own past scores, and count how often each one is the top scorer (or in the top two) of the XI. This shows how reliable a pick is.
- We also show how often each player was the highest (best captain) or second-highest (best vice-captain) fantasy scorer in their real T20s over the last three years.
- When the two picks are less than 2 expected points apart, we flag a close call: either is a sound captain.
What the numbers don't know
The pitch, the opposition, injuries, batting-order changes and team news aren't in the estimates, and we don't have the apps' credit prices or how many people pick each player. Treat the picks as a starting point, not a guarantee.
Fantasy previews
- NPL 2026 schedule and match previews
- WBBL 2026 schedule and match previews
- ILT20 2026 schedule and match previews
- BBL 2026 schedule and match previews
CricketViz is not affiliated with any cricket league or fantasy sports app.