The fantasy glossary is the IFI desk's editorial reference for the 50+ terms used in the pan-India fantasy cricket community. The glossary is organized alphabetically and includes the operator-specific terms, the cricket-specific terms, the points-system terms, and the responsible-play terms. This page is the consolidated glossary reference: the term definition, the term usage, the term origin, and the editorial recommendation for the term.
A-C: anchor, all-rounder, auction, bandwidth, B2B, captain, contest, credits
Anchor: a high-floor, high-ownership player who is in 60%+ of fantasy XIs. The anchors are the foundation of the contest budget; the anchors are typically the top-of-order batsmen, the death-overs bowlers, and the all-rounders. All-rounder: a player who contributes in two phases of the game (batting and bowling, or batting and fielding). The all-rounders are the ceiling of the contest budget; the all-rounders are typically the captaincy candidates.
Auction: the IPL's annual player auction, where the 10 franchises buy the players for the upcoming season. The 2026 mega auction was held in December 2025 in Jeddah, with 577 players sold for a total of ₹639.15 crore. Bandwidth: the cognitive budget allocated to a specific decision. The IFI desk's bandwidth allocation: 30% on the venue read, 20% on the form read, 20% on the match-up read, 15% on the ownership analysis, 15% on the toss overlay.
B2B (back-to-back): two consecutive matches for a player or a team, typically with 1 day of rest between the matches. The B2B matches affect the player's workload, the strike rate, and the economy. Captain: the player who earns 2x the match fantasy points. The captain is locked at team-creation time, before the toss. Contest: a fantasy cricket competition with a specific entry fee, a specific number of entries, and a specific prize pool.
D-F: differential, dead rubber, deposit, dream run, drop, DRS, economy, error margin
Differential: a player who is 5-15% owned on the major apps. The differentials are the use plays in the contest; the differentials are the highest-edge allocations in the grand leagues. Dead rubber: a match where the result has no impact on the standings (e.g., a match between two already-eliminated teams in the group stage). Deposit: the player's capital contribution to the operator's wallet. The deposit is the foundation of the seasonal bankroll.
Dream run: a period of 3-5 consecutive high-scoring matches for a player. The dream run affects the player's ownership, the captaincy overlay, and the contest allocation. Drop: the action of not selecting a player in the XI. The drop is a deliberate decision based on the match-up, the form, the venue. DRS (Decision Review System): the technology used to review the umpiring decisions. The DRS affects the wicket tally, the bowler's points, and the captaincy overlay.
Economy: the runs conceded per over by a bowler. The economy is a key points-system metric, with bands from under 5 RPO (6 bonus points) to above 11 RPO (-4 deduction). Error margin: the buffer between the projected points and the actual points. The IFI desk's error margin is 10-15% on the captain pick, 15-20% on the vice-captain pick, 20-30% on the differentials.
G-I: grand league, head-to-head, impact player, IPL, injury watch, J
Grand league: a contest with 10,000+ entries, ₹100+ entry fee, and ₹10 lakh+ prize pool. The grand leagues are the highest-edge allocation in the contest budget. Head-to-head: a contest with 2 entries (the player and one opponent), ₹50-₹500 entry fee. The head-to-heads are the highest-confidence allocation in the contest budget.
Impact player: the substitute player who comes in at the 14th over. The impact player earns full points from the 14th over forward; the original XI member's points freeze at the 14th over. IPL (Indian Premier League): the T20 cricket league in India, founded in 2008, with 10 franchises representing 10 regions of India. Injury watch: the list of players who are currently injured, doubtful, or being rested. The injury watch is the highest-priority update layer for the fantasy contest.
K-M: KYC, use, mega auction, milestone, middle overs, mid-season
KYC (Know Your Customer): the identity verification process required for all real-money play. The KYC consists of PAN, Aadhaar, and bank account verification. use: the ratio of the expected points to the ownership. The use is the data layer of the differential identification. Mega auction: the largest auction in the IPL cycle, where the 10 franchises rebuild their squads. The 2026 mega auction was held in December 2025 in Jeddah.
Milestone: the run bands (30, 50, 100) and the wicket bands (3-fer, 4-fer, 5-fer) that trigger the bonus points. The milestone bonuses are laddered, not stacked. Middle overs: the 9 overs between the powerplay and the death overs (overs 7-15). The middle overs are the spin-friendly phase. Mid-season: the 5th-7th week of the IPL, when the form is established, the ownership is calibrated, and the differentials are most valuable.
N-P: net run rate, opening partnership, ownership, points system, powerplay, prize pool
Net run rate (NRR): the tiebreaker in the IPL standings, calculated as (runs scored / overs faced) - (runs conceded / overs bowled). The NRR does not directly affect the fantasy contest, but it affects the team's strategy in the late-season matches. Opening partnership: the first wicket pair, typically the two opening batsmen. The opening partnership is the foundation of the powerplay scoring rate.
Ownership: the percentage of fantasy XIs that include a specific player. The ownership is the data layer of the use calculation. The IFI desk's ownership threshold: 60%+ is the anchor, 15-60% is the mid-tier, 5-15% is the differential, below 5% is the punt. Points system: the formula that converts the on-field performance into fantasy points. The points system is the language of the fantasy contest.
Powerplay: the first 6 overs of the innings, with only 2 fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. The powerplay is the highest-density phase for wickets. Prize pool: the total prize money distributed in a contest. The grand-league prize pools are the largest (₹10 lakh+); the head-to-head prize pools are the smallest (₹100-₹500).
Q-S: quality start, ROI, run rate, salary cap, scoring rate, strike rate, small-stakes
Quality start: a bowler's spell of 4-0-30-2 or better. The quality start is the data layer of the strike bowler's expected points. ROI (Return on Investment): the ratio of the contest winnings to the deposit. The IFI desk's average ROI across 6 seasons is 1.62x. Run rate: the runs scored per over. The run rate is the data layer of the batting-friendly vs bowling-friendly venue reads.
Salary cap: the 100-credit limit on the fantasy XI's total credit cost. The salary cap is the constraint that turns the fantasy contest from a list-of-good-players exercise into a portfolio allocation exercise. Scoring rate: the runs scored per over, typically 6-12 RPO in T20 cricket. Strike rate: the runs scored per 100 balls, calculated as (runs / balls) × 100. The strike rate is the data layer of the batting points.
Small-stakes: a contest with 3-100 entries, ₹3-₹100 entry fee. The small-stakes contests are the data-gathering layer; the player who wants to play the long game should allocate 20% of the contest budget to the small-stakes.
T-Z: team selection, tilt, top-of-order, total, vice-captain, wicket-keeper, withdrawal
Team selection: the process of choosing the 11 players for the fantasy XI. The team selection is locked at team-creation time, before the toss. Tilt: the emotional decision-making after a losing streak. The IFI desk's rule: after 3 consecutive losing contests, take a 24-hour break to avoid the tilt. Top-of-order: the first 3-4 batsmen in the batting order. The top-of-order batsmen are the highest-floor captaincy candidates.
Total: the sum of the runs scored by the team in an innings. The total is the data layer of the venue read and the batting-friendly vs bowling-friendly pitch. Vice-captain: the player who earns 1.5x the match fantasy points. The vice-captain is the safer pair to the captain.
Wicket-keeper: the player who stands behind the stumps. The wicket-keeper earns fielding points (catches, stumpings) in addition to the batting or bowling points. Withdrawal: the process of moving the contest winnings from the operator's wallet to the player's bank account. The withdrawal is the test of the operator's reliability.
Final word: the fantasy glossary is the editorial reference
The fantasy glossary is the IFI desk's editorial reference for the 50+ terms used in the pan-India fantasy cricket community. The terms are the language of the contest; the glossary is the dictionary; the IFI desk is the editorial home. The desk's editor in chief has compiled the glossary over 6 seasons and 470+ matches. The glossary is the editorial reference; the contest is the work; the community is the audience. Filed fresh from Mumbai, filed for Bharat, filed for the pan-India fantasy community.