Batting depth
Top-four anchors, middle-overs accelerators, death-overs finishers — and where the franchise's bench sits across each band. We score the depth on a four-point scale per band.
Squad Research
Reading the bench, not just the eleven.
The starting XI changes by match. The bench tells you what the franchise actually values. Our squads area breaks every team down to role depth, bowling variety, and overseas impact, so you can pick transfers based on what the team will do, not what their last match scoreboard showed.
Comparison axes
How we score franchises
Bowling variety
Powerplay seamers, middle-overs spinners, death yorkers. A side with all three rotates more XIs; a side with one mode loses matchups on away grounds.
Overseas impact
The two to four overseas slots often decide the matchup. We track who is in form, who is rotating, and who is carrying workload in the cycle.
Bench quality
When a franchise rotates, the bench is the difference between a 9/11 XI and a 6/11 XI. We score bench depth per role to flag the healthy rotation.
Reading the coach-selection signal
Pre-toss probable lineups are usually 90% accurate at the top franchises. The signal comes from the role assignments more than the names: which spinner is in, which seamer is rotated, which overseas slot is being rested.
The team sheet's quiet signals
The bowling coach in pre-toss press conferences usually signals 1–2 role changes versus the last match. Track them with a per-cycle log and your probable XI accuracy improves.
The bench that gets used
Not every franchise actually rotates. Some franchise benches are insurance, not tactical depth. Read the substitution history: which players came in, which sat out, and what the conditions were.
Bench quality
Bench depth
The bench is the role insurance policy. Most franchises rotate at most one or two players per cycle; the rest of the bench is contingency.
Fielding units
Fielding reads and role multipliers
Close-catch density
Close-catch specialists add eight-point catches as a recurring ceiling. A side with three close-catch specialists scores more fielding points per match than a side with one.
Boundary catching
Boundary catchers are positional specialists — top-order bowlers get balls hit to them. If a team's boundary-catching has weakened, captain with caution on the corresponding batter.
Squad ledger
Tracking rotation
FAQ
Squad questions
How do you read a probable XI before the toss?
Start with the bowling order. If a left-arm spinner is in the XI in a left-arm-friendly matchup, they are playing. The bowling order is more reliable than the batting order at this stage because the captain usually confirms roles 24 hours in advance.
How reliable is overseas-player news for fantasy lineups?
Overseas slot news can change within 12 hours of the toss. Treat the team sheet as a planning tool and the toss as the final word. If the overseas player is replaced, your bench cover should match the role — not the name.
Why does squad depth matter more than the starting XI?
Most fantasy contests allow one or two substitutions per cycle. A squad with two top-quality spinners and a top-quality backup all-rounder covers more venues and weather scenarios than a side with three pace bowlers and one spinner.
How do you compare franchises in a tournament?
We use four axes: batting depth, bowling variety, overseas impact, and bench quality. No single franchise ranks top across all four axes consistently — that is why the comparison grid varies round to round.