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Season index · 2026
96.4 Matchday squad readiness score for the upcoming window

The matchday desk for fantasy cricket readers who treat squad selection like a long essay.

Sixer is a Lilac Research paper desk that reads, watches and writes about fantasy cricket the way a sports editor would. Before every window we publish a squad primer, captain pick ledger, six-hitting map, points dossier and a state eligibility note so you can build your team with the same arithmetic the desk uses.

18+ only. Read the responsible play boundary and Indian state rules before joining a contest.

Matchday calendar

The seven fixtures the desk is reading this week

See full calendar
Mon
Mumbai Champs
vs Bengaluru Royals
Wankhede · Night
Tue
Delhi Capitals
vs Kolkata Knights
Arun Jaitley · Day
Wed
Chennai Kings
vs Hyderabad Sun
Chepauk · Night
Thu
India A
vs India B
Mohali · Day
Fri
Rajasthan Royals
vs Punjab Stars
SMS Jaipur · Night
Sat
Lucknow Giants
vs Gujarat Titans
Ekana · Day
Sun
England Tour
vs India
Eden Gardens · Day
How to read the desk

Three passes through every fixture

Each fixture page on Sixer follows the same desk protocol: a matchday primer, a captaincy ledger and a state eligibility note. The protocol is short, repeatable and meant for slow reading.

Squad primer

The desk reads the likely XI from the previous five matches and the pitch report, then publishes a probability table for each slot.

Captaincy ledger

Captain and vice-captain multipliers are scored against the same ledger so you can read the comparison at a glance.

State note

Indian state rules change mid-season. The note publishes the current reading for the relevant states before every contest window.

Format switcher

The same desk, three formats

Switch the tab to compare how the dossier reads T20, ODI and Test cricket. Each panel keeps the editorial voice; only the arithmetic changes.

Twenty20 arithmetic

Twenty20 is the most salary-cap sensitive format the desk covers. A misjudged captain pick costs more per contest because every team is in play.

SlotMultiplierSalary weight
Captain2.0x14%
Vice-captain1.5x11%
All-rounder1.0x12%
Death bowler1.0x9%
Avg squad cost
₹ 87.4 L
+ 1.6 L vs last window
Avg fantasy points
428
+ 14 vs last window

One-Day arithmetic

Fifty-over cricket rewards consistency. The desk publishes a longer points ledger so a middle-order anchor counts for as much as a power-hitter.

SlotMultiplierSalary weight
Anchor1.6x16%
Accelerator1.3x13%
Spinner1.0x10%
Pace all-rounder1.0x11%
Avg squad cost
₹ 84.9 L
+ 0.8 L vs last window
Avg fantasy points
512
+ 6 vs last window

Test arithmetic

Five-day cricket rewards patience. The desk treats all four innings as a single ledger and rewards bowlers who hold spells longer.

SlotMultiplierSalary weight
Opener1.4x15%
Nightwatch1.1x6%
Spinner1.2x12%
Strike bowler1.3x13%
Avg squad cost
₹ 91.2 L
- 2.1 L vs last window
Avg fantasy points
768
+ 28 vs last window
Six-hitting map

Where the ball goes when the batter goes over the rope

The desk plots six-hitting zones for each venue by reading the last 60 innings from that ground. The map shows you where the safe pick lands and where the gamble lives.

Six-hitting essay
Overhead aerial photograph of an empty cricket pitch with grass mowing patterns and standard cricket markings.
Signature visual

The annotated six-hitting map

The desk measures sixes by pitch zone: cow corner, mid-wicket, long-on, long-off, point and third man. The map lets you compare batters by zone tendency rather than by raw total.

Reading the map

Three rules of thumb

  • Power-hitters score above their average at small boundaries.
  • Anchors convert at mid-wicket and long-on regardless of boundary length.
  • Death overs skew the map toward cow corner regardless of venue.

The desk recomputes the map after every match window.

Toss and venue ledger

What the pitch and the coin tell us

The desk reads the venue ledger against the toss result. The reading is short on speculation and long on what the ground has done in the last twelve months.

VenueAvg 1st innToss trendChase win %Note
Wankhede, Mumbai178Bat first42%Sea breeze lifts dew after 16 overs
Chepauk, Chennai162Spin holds38%Dry surface, slow turn from over 11
Eden Gardens, Kolkata170Bat first46%Outfield quick, runs in V
Arun Jaitley, Delhi155Chase52%Dew helps chasing side under lights
Mohali, Punjab169Bat first41%Pace bounce holds early
Narendra Modi, Ahmedabad172Bat first44%Flat surface, true bounce
Playing-XI probability

Most likely XI for tonight

The probability desk reads the last five matches, the press conference, and the pitch report. Each row carries the percentage the desk assigns to a slot, not the team's official word.

Read squad depth
01
A. Iyer
Right-hand opener · 12 inns at venue
94%
02
R. Sharma
Left-hand opener · 9 inns at venue
91%
03
S. Dhawan
Left-hand top order
86%
04
K. L. Rahul
Wicket-keeper batter
78%
05
S. Yadav
Middle order · spin vs pace 58/42
89%
06
H. Pandya
Floater · 4 overs + finish duty
82%
07
D. Hooda
Middle overs accelerator
71%
08
W. Sundar
Off-spin · 4 overs powerplay hold
74%
09
A. Patel
Left-arm spin · middle choke
69%
10
J. Bumrah
Death specialist · 4 overs
96%
11
M. Shami
Powerplay wicket-taker
88%
Fantasy points dossier

How the desk scores each role

The dossier scores batting, bowling, fielding and captaincy multipliers on the same card. The T20 table below is the current reading; ODI and Test tables sit one tab away.

Full dossier
Batting run
1 pt
+ 0 vs last window
Wicket
25 pt
+ 0 vs last window
Catch
8 pt
+ 0 vs last window
Captain 2x
2.0x
+ 0 vs last window
ActionT20ODITestNotes
Run scored111Same across formats
Boundary bonus+4+4+4Per four hit
Six bonus+6+6+6Per six hit
Wicket (pace)252516Test lower
Wicket (spin)252516Test lower
Maiden over44Limited-overs only
Catch888Same across formats
Stumping121212Same across formats
Run out (direct)121212Same across formats
Run out (catcher)666Same across formats
50 scored+8+8+8Bonus per milestone
100 scored+16+16+16Bonus per milestone
5 wickets+8+8+8Bonus per milestone
Salary cap arithmetic

The desk's matchday arithmetic card

Plug in your captain, vice-captain and the rest of the XI. The arithmetic card shows the per-fantasy-point cost of your squad so you can read what your money actually buys.

Total squad cost ₹ 87.4 L · ₹ 0.20 per fantasy point

A lower per-fantasy-point cost means you have spent less for the same expected return. The desk treats any squad above ₹ 0.25 per fantasy point as salary-heavy.

How the desk reads the card

Captain gets a 2.0x multiplier on fantasy points scored. Vice-captain gets a 1.5x multiplier. The remaining nine players carry a 1.0x multiplier. The desk divides your total spend by the weighted fantasy-point expectation to read your per-point cost.

Three arithmetic rules

  • Don't pick a captain who costs more than 14% of the squad.
  • Don't pick a vice-captain who costs more than 11% of the squad.
  • Aim for a per-fantasy-point cost below ₹ 0.22 for a balanced XI.

The arithmetic card is illustrative. Contest windows, salary caps and multipliers vary by format and tournament. Always cross-check with the operator's published rules before locking your team.

State eligibility notice

Where you can and cannot play

Indian state rules for paid fantasy cricket change mid-season. The desk tracks current advisories and publishes them here before every contest window. Always cross-check with your operator before joining.

Full state reading
Maharashtra
Paid fantasy contests allowed under current state rules. Age 18+ and resident verification required.
Karnataka
Paid fantasy contests allowed. KYC and PAN required at the operator level.
Tamil Nadu
Paid fantasy contests allowed under the current state advisory.
West Bengal
Paid fantasy contests allowed. Operator-level KYC required.
Telangana
Paid fantasy contests subject to state-level monitoring. Operators may apply additional verification.
Andhra Pradesh
Paid fantasy contests subject to evolving state advisories. Cross-check with the operator before joining.
Assam
Paid fantasy contests currently prohibited under state law.
Odisha
Paid fantasy contests currently prohibited under state law.
Sikkim
Paid fantasy contests currently prohibited under state law.
Nagaland
Paid fantasy contests currently prohibited under state law.
Meghalaya
Paid fantasy contests currently prohibited under state law.
Responsible play boundary

Sixer is a reading desk, not an investment

The desk publishes editorial reading and arithmetic only. Fantasy cricket is a paid contest format that can cause financial harm if played beyond your means. Read this boundary before you join a contest.

Full boundary

A short reader contract

  • Treat every contest entry as a small entertainment spend, not as an investment.
  • Set a weekly cap you can afford to lose before you open the contest app.
  • Don't chase losses. Walk away when the desk tells you the window is unclear.
  • Take a 30-day break if the contest starts to feel like a job.
  • Check your state rules before you join a paid contest.

Where to find help

Help is free and confidential. The desk lists the major Indian support services below; the operator you play with also publishes its own responsible-play contact.

  • iCall Helpline: 9152987821 (10am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday).
  • Vandrevala Foundation: 1860-2662-345 (24x7, multilingual).
  • Gamblers Anonymous India meets in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and online.

The desk is not a counselling service. The list above is for reader reference.

Edited by the Sixer desk
Longform fantasy cricket · India

Every matchday window is read by the desk, cross-checked against the operator's published scoring rules, and revised when a state government publishes a new advisory.

Last revised · 2026-07-27

Ready to read your next matchday squad primer?

The desk publishes a fresh primer before every contest window. Start with tonight's squad, or read the captaincy ledger first.

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