Compliance

Responsible play, in plain language

A reader-first guide to deposit limits, self-exclusion, state eligibility and the bankroll habits the desk uses. The desk does not run a paid platform; this page is editorial reference.

Fantasy cricket is for adults only. Match-day reporting is editorial. Paid contests are a form of skill-based entertainment with financial risk. Read the state eligibility, set a deposit limit, walk away after three straight losses.

Read the legality explainer

Deposit limits

What they are and how to set one.

A deposit limit caps the amount of money you can deposit on the platform in a chosen window: daily, weekly or monthly. Once set, the limit cannot be raised immediately; most platforms impose a 24-72 hour cooling-off period before a higher limit takes effect.

Set the limit before you deposit. Choose a number that is a small share of monthly discretionary spending. The desk's habit is a weekly cap; it forces a pause and a re-read of the state eligibility rules before any increase.

Self-exclusion

For readers who want to step away for longer.

Self-exclusion is a formal request to a platform to close your account for a fixed period: six months, one year, or five years. While self-excluded, you cannot deposit, enter contests, or receive marketing from the operator.

Most platforms process self-exclusion requests within 24-48 hours. The request is irreversible for the chosen period. Refunds of any remaining balance are processed according to the platform's own terms.

The desk's bankroll habits

Five small habits the desk writers use on their own contests.

1

Fixed stake per contest

Choose a stake before the season starts and do not vary it during a winning or losing streak.

2

Walk away after three losses

The third consecutive loss is a stop signal. Tilted contests lose money faster than they win it back.

3

Withdraw winnings quarterly

Withdraw small winnings to a bank account every three months. The withdrawal habit keeps the bankroll honest.

4

Practice contests before paid

Run a new strategy in practice contests for two weeks before risking real money on it.

5

One device, one deposit method

Use one device and one payment method. Adding a second device or a second payment method often correlates with losing the cap.

Resources outside the desk

If you are worried about your play, or someone close to you is worried about theirs.

  • National helpline (India): iCall (TISS Mumbai) at 9152987821 (Mon-Sat, 8am-10pm). Free, confidential counselling.
  • Vandrevala Foundation: 1860-2662-345 (24/7). Multilingual mental-health support.
  • NIMHANS: 080-46110007 (Mon-Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm). Centre for addiction medicine.
  • Operator's self-exclusion: Each platform has its own self-exclusion flow under Account Settings or Responsible Play.

This page is editorial reference. The desk does not provide counselling, financial advice, or legal advice. The resources above are independent of IPL Fantasy Score and are listed for reader convenience.

Extended perspective

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.

Frequently cited

Five reads the desk returns to

Articles, columns and references the desk keeps open in a browser tab through the season.

A captain raising his bat
Captain pick

Captain pick of the day

The 4-factor reasoning for tonight's captain pick: surface, form, match-up, role.

A stadium at sunset
IPL 2026

The 74-game arc

Season map, key dates, venue groups and the desk's coverage plan.

Closing notes

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.

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