Referral
Referral codes, plainly explained
A reader-first explainer of how refer-a-friend bonuses work, what the terms usually say, and how to use a referral code without losing money on the threshold.
How referral bonuses work
Most fantasy cricket platforms run a refer-a-friend bonus. The structure varies: some platforms give the referrer a flat contest credit when the referee deposits, others give a percentage of the referee's first deposit up to a cap, others give both the referrer and the referee a small contest credit.
The bonus is usually credited only after the referee completes a minimum action: signing up, depositing, or completing the wagering threshold. The credit may also have its own expiry window.
What to check in the terms
- The minimum deposit the referee must make for the bonus to credit.
- Whether the bonus credits as cash, as contest credit, or as bonus credit with a wagering threshold.
- How many referrals count toward the bonus in a single season.
- The expiry window on the credited bonus.
- Whether existing friends count (most platforms require the referee to be a new account with no prior deposit).
When a referral code is genuinely worth using
A referral code is worth using when the referee would have deposited anyway and played contests anyway. The bonus is then a small rebate on a transaction that would have happened regardless.
It is not worth using when the referee deposits only to chase the referral bonus and then withdraws immediately. The threshold and the contest restrictions usually make that path uneconomic.
How the desk uses referral codes
Members of the desk occasionally refer each other to platforms we already use. We treat the credit as a small buffer. We do not write referral codes into articles, and we do not publish referral links from this site. The terms on the operator's own page are the source of truth.
Related reading
What this page covers, in long form
A second pass through the topic with extra context, examples and the small habits the desk uses on its own teams.
Insight 01
Surface over form
The single biggest input to any fantasy cricket decision is the playing surface, not the recent form table. A dry Chepauk turner rewards a different XI than a flat Chinnaswamy track, and a green Mohali morning changes the captain pick again. Reading the pitch report the night before the toss is the highest-use habit a fantasy reader can build.
Insight 02
Captain over eleven
The captain pick is worth more than the eleven. A captain who scores 40 with two boundaries earns 96 fantasy points before any milestone bonus; the same innings from a non-captain earns 48. The captain multiplier is where most of the season's variance is decided, and the captain pick should be made after reading the surface, not before.
Insight 03
Bankroll beats picks
The desk's strongest readers win not because of better captain picks but because of better bankroll habits. A fixed stake per contest, three small contests instead of one big one, and a hard stop after three straight losses are the boring habits that keep readers in the contest long enough to learn.
A note on ownership
Ownership percentage is the most under-used input on a fantasy desk. In a large contest, the captain should rarely be the most-picked player. A captain who is owned by 8% of the contest and who fits the surface gives you a swing; a captain who is owned by 60% gives you no differential. Track ownership through the season, not just at the start.
Five reads the desk returns to
Articles, columns and references the desk keeps open in a browser tab through the season.
Match report
MI edge CSK in a 19-over chase
The desk's read on Tuesday's Wankhede fixture and what it means for the rest of the week.
Captain pick
Captain pick of the day
The 4-factor reasoning for tonight's captain pick: surface, form, match-up, role.
Pitch report
Chepauk reading: dry top, slow turn
What the surface looks like 90 minutes before toss, and the fantasy angle.
Team preview
Mumbai Indians: a rebuild on a flat deck
A new opening pair and a death-over reshuffle.
Three things to carry into the next page
A short reading-end summary for the desk's match-day readers.
1
The surface is the input
Read the pitch report before you read the line-up. The surface dictates the captain pool more reliably than the recent form table. A dry turner and a flat deck are different games; treat them as such.
2
The captain is the output
Pick the captain after the surface, form and match-up all point one way. If they do not point one way, pick the differential. The captain pick is the single biggest source of variance in any contest.
3
The bankroll is the discipline
Fixed stake per contest, three small contests instead of one big one, walk away after three losses. The boring habits are the ones that keep winners in the contest long enough to learn.
Editorial reminder
IPL Fantasy Score is an editorial publication. We do not run a paid fantasy platform; we publish coverage. The desk's habit is to describe the captain logic in plain language and let the reader decide. We do not promise winning teams. We publish reasoning.