Millions of young sports aficionados across the country are now hooked to Fantasy Sports (Fantasy Cricket with the major share in it), and the number is rising rapidly. If one goes by the report of Indian Federation of Sports Gaming on the sector, the user base will cross 100 Million by the year 2020.
Thousands of sports lovers are adopting to this trend month-on-month, trying their hand the best they can. Lot of them have already started perceiving it as a regular source of income, a channel that has the potential of improving their lifestyle completely. Meet one of our elite users who has been on HalaPlay for a brief period but has managed to bag some handsome winnings in his account. He started just last year and has won over ₹6 lakh playing Fantasy Cricket on the platform. We’re presenting his memorable journey in the form of a short interview conducted by our team. Get set to be inspired, here it goes!
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you grew up, went to school, what you did before Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)?
My name is Ram K Godara (known by the name aSthoRe on HalaPlay). I finished my graduation in Electrical Department from Rajasthan Technical University, and am currently working under Rajasthan Government in Public Service.
When did you start playing on HalaPlay and how were you introduced to it?
I started playing on HalaPlay last year. I’m a huge fan of Cricket and so one day while searching for new platforms in Fantasy Cricket I came across HalaPlay.
It is the first ever platform that allowed to edit teams after lineups are announced.
Tell us a bit about your Daily Fantasy journey. The struggles you had and successes.
My DFS journey has been really fantastic till now and I’m enjoying it on a regular basis. It doubles the excitement and joy for any given match. In the beginning I used to be really insecure with the selected players, be worried about the unpicked ones and that really annoyed me a lot but then I realised that I cannot play with this mindset.
After that I started thinking about only those players who can make me win and that has drastically changed my performance in Fantasy Cricket as I can see some really incredible results post that.
What is the criteria for choosing players (Current form, past records etc.)?
I select my teams basis three important factors. First priority is always given to the in-form players. Second, I try to gauge the difference in playing level of the two teams as that’s an important criteria, for example IND Vs AUS match will have a different strategy (and choice of players) compared to IND Vs AFG. Third thing is the pitch report, which is again very important during selection of players, helps me decide whether to go for fast bowlers or spinners.
What is your strategy while choosing a captain for the team?
For selection of the captain, I look for an all-rounder OR some well known match winning players like Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers, etc. If opponent team is weak then I prefer a bowler as the captain (like Rashid Khan). Not to forget, the captain is chosen seeing the format of the game, the strategy is different for ODIs, Test Cricket and T20.
Which leagues are your favourite on HalaPlay?
The Monster Leagues with entry fee ₹350 and ₹199 are my favourite along with some selected leagues with grand winning like Mile High Club with entry fee ₹3999.
The size of these leagues isn’t too large so probability of winning here is much higher and I always feel secure with them.
Which was your best day on HalaPlay and what do you remember about it?
The best day was when I had won ₹350 Monster league with a free entry, it was an amazing feeling.
It was in IND W Vs BAN W Asia Cup Final match when Poonam Yadav was my captain and she took 4 wickets and gave just 9 runs.
How has your experience been with the Season Passes and what is it that you like the most about them?
Season Pass is one of the best features on HalaPlay. I absolutely love it. It saves your money as you get the free entries worth double the money (in various Monster leagues) you spend. In short, it’s a big booster to play Fantasy Cricket regularly.
If you had one piece of advice to offer to a player new to DFS in terms of strategy, what would it be and why?
Always trust your player selection, don’t think about those players who are not selected in your Top 11 once you’ve made up your mind. Have confidence in your chosen ones and avoid making last minute changes. First and foremost task should to be to finalise the Team1 and then think of making more teams for Monsters.
Where do you see yourself down the road in regards to DFS? Do you want it to be a long-term thing for you?
I love Fantasy Cricket, enjoy playing it and so would definitely continue this. It’s quite pleasing and delighting, doubles the excitement for any particular match and the sport as well.
If you found the above article helpful and worth sharing with your friends then go ahead and do that right away so they can get some useful insights of Fantasy Cricket too. If they haven’t played the game on HalaPlay, make them signup using your referral code so they can earn ₹100 bonus instantly while you get ₹50 just after they make first deposit of ₹50 or more.
