Which in-form Fantasy Players should you be picking?

Phil Salt - 242 points in 2 games

One week ago, Phil Salt was tenth on the Fantasy points table. The big-hitting England opener has remarkably made a direct jump from #10 to #1 on the back of some scintillating hitting. The Kolkata opener has amassed a staggering 242 points in his last two games. Dating back to the Lucknow clash at Eden, that’s 483 points in five games for the wicketkeeper batter. 

In the form he is in, it’s borderline unacceptable to not captain or vice-captain Salt during Kolkata’s games, let alone not picking him in the side. 

Jonny Bairstow - 235 points in 2 games

We see a ‘Renaissance Man’ in our Fantasy list every week. This week, it’s none other than Jonny Bairstow. Prior to the Kolkata clash, Bairstow had not even amassed 80 points in any contest. Now he’s gone 235 points in 2 games to bulldoze into the Top two. 

Bairstow is a ‘confidence player’ who goes on a tear when he finds form. With each of Punjab’s remaining four games set to be played in batting paradises - Dharamshala, Guwahati and Hyderabad - Bairstow is the man you need to be backing for the remainder of the group stages. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad - 223 points in 2 games

Ruturaj Gaikwad has gone from #4 last week to breaking into the Top three this week. The Chennai skipper’s consistency has truly been nothing short of astonishing. Ruturaj’s Fantasy scores in the last three games read 91, 132 and 160. If we were to extend the dates a bit, the right-hander has amassed less than 85 points in only one of Chennai’s last six games. 

In Ruturaj, you’re looking at a points machine who will give you guaranteed success, just like that. 

Sunil Narine - 204 points in 2 games

Death, taxes and Sunil Narine proving to be one of the best Fantasy Players week in and week out. Certainties in life, yeah? Believe it or not, Narine has amassed over 50 points in every single contest this season barring the Hyderabad clash at Eden Gardens. His last EIGHT Fantasy scores read 59, 145, 72, 234, 50, 73, 157 and 96. 

He’s been churning out points with the bat all season, but he’ll start producing the goods with the ball, too, now that the wickets are starting to get tired. Narine in Fantasy Cricket is like lightning in a bottle. 

Will Jacks - 182 points in 2 games

Debuting in the Top 10 for the first time this season is Bengaluru’s Will Jacks. He’s barged his way into this list on the back of his stunning onslaught against Gujarat, where he went from 50 to 100 in just 10 balls. In the Gujarat clash one, Jacks amassed a total of 151 points — which was more than his tally in his previous three games combined. 

With Jacks having potential to churn out points with the ball, too, he’s a Tier one pick whenever Bengaluru play.

Virat Kohli - 167 points in 2 games

Virat Kohli’s ceiling in T20s might not be as high as some of the others (in terms of accumulating points, at least) but he’s the ultimate bank in Fantasy cricket. He keeps scoring and scoring and scoring, by virtue of doing so he keeps racking up the points. His last four Fantasy scores read 98, 69, 35 and 66. 

Again, you’d definitely miss out on free points by not picking Kohli during Bengaluru games. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy - 167 points in 3 games

If you’re searching for one player that can really help you win big on ‘his day’, look no further than Nitish Kumar Reddy. The Hyderabad all-rounder has amassed more than 40 points only thrice this season. But in those games, he’s gone on to accumulate 113, 103 and 127 points. 

With Abhishek Sharma out of form, Travis Head not in the form he was during the first half of the season, and with Aiden Markram dropped, Nitish is your go-to man during Hyderabad games, especially considering the form he is in. 

KL Rahul - 157 points in 2 games

When it comes to Fantasy Cricket, KL Rahul has been right up there as one of the most reliable ‘banks’. All season, there’s only been one game in which Rahul has not amassed more than 35 points. The Lucknow captain has amassed more than 50 points in six of Lucknow’s last seven matches. 

Again, like Kohli, Rahul will probably not prove to be a difference maker, but he’ll keep racking up points. 

Jake Fraser McGurk - 152 points in 3 games

Jake Fraser-McGurk might not have made it to Australia’s World Cup squad, but that should not stop you from punting on this youngster during Delhi games. Fraser-McGurk had a rare failure against Kolkata, but the right-hander is still very much ‘in the zone’, with his Fantasy scores for the season reading 27, 125, 45, 102, 36 and 83. 

While picking batters like Fraser-McGurk, you tend to look at venues. Delhi’s next three games are set to be played in Delhi, Bengaluru and Delhi. So you know what to do. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 150 points in 3 games

Bhuvneshwar Kumar being the only specialist bowler in this list is a testament to how good he’s been in the past week or so. This season, we’ve not seen too many contests being won with the ball, but Bhuvneshwar did just that against Rajasthan, amassing a whopping 97 points, setting up the game for Hyderabad in the powerplay before finishing the job off at the death. 

Bhuvi, like Bairstow, is also a rhythm player. So he might just end up going on a point-accumulating spree for the remainder of the league stage.