Successful coaches & players are not only revered for the trophies they have won, but for taking legendary decisions that change the course of a match. For instance, MS Dhoni’s idea of promoting himself up the order in the 2011 World Cup final or former Netherlands coach Louis Van Gaal’s goalkeeper substitution before the penalty shootout in 2014 World Cup quarterfinal are shining examples of quality decision-making.
What’s the secret to making the right decision in a crunch situation? Is it the in-depth knowledge of the game, or is it about trusting one’s intuition? Aekansh, a regular Fantasy Cricket player on HalaPlay, discusses in-depth about decisions that made him a successful in Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). Read his full interview below:
Tell us a little bit about yourself – where you grew up, and what else you do apart from playing DFS?
Hi, I am Aekansh, better known as aekansh009 on HalaPlay. I hail from Ranchi, Jharkhand and am currently pursuing my undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Manipal Institute Of Technology in Manipal, Karnataka.
When did you start playing on HalaPlay? And how did you come to know about it?
I started playing Fantasy Cricket on HalaPlay from mid-2017. It was Reverse Fantasy Leagues where there are no credit constraints and that attracted me to the platform.
Tell us about your journey so far – the difficulties and success you had playing DFS at HalaPlay?
My HalaPlay journey till now has been very eventful. I have made peace with the fact that you can’t win every day. Sometimes you score, sometimes you get floored. I have now started to enjoy cricket more. The fact that I am losing money doesn’t bother me, as I know, I can easily make it up in the upcoming matches.
What kind of research goes behind while choosing players? Do you have a set of criteria?
While picking the playing 11, I research on a player’s current form, his/her career statistics, and take my gut feeling into consideration. I usually pick those bowlers who bowl at the death. They are likely to take wickets than those players who bowl in the middle overs.
What is your strategy while picking a captain for your team?
I usually go for a top-order batsman as they are likely to face most of the deliveries. The most dependable batsman, a Virat Kohli or a Kane Williamson, is likely to be my captain. And when a team like India face a weak opponent like Afghanistan or Zimbabwe, I pick a well-experienced bowler from the team that is likely to win.
Which was your best day on HalaPlay?
My best day on HalaPlay was a match day from Global T20 Canada last year. I made a profit of more than ₹20,000.
Our players have purchased cars, cameras, and phones with the money they have won. If you don’t mind, can you share what you did with the earnings from HalaPlay?
I gifted myself with a OnePlus6 last year. Usually, I like to save money and, now, I have over ₹3,00,000 in my account.
Can you name some of your favourite Leagues on HalaPlay?
I prefer Playing Reverse Fantasy Leagues on HalaPlay. The reason being, as I said earlier, there is no credit constraints, and I can choose whoever I want. In Normal fantasy leagues, it’s not possible and, sometimes, you are forced to drop players, who have the quality to win matches on their own, due to salary limitations.
Most of our DFS players use HalaPlay app. Can you share your experience playing on the app?
The HalaPlay app is one of the most user-friendly apps. And the best part is that it keeps improving every day.
As winning DFS takes a lot of time and dedication, how do you maintain the work-life balance while playing DFS?
Sometimes it’s very hard. I remember those matches in the Caribbean which start around midnight here. To follow them, I had to give up sleep on plenty of occasions. But since my hard earned money is involved, I strive hard to maintain a balance.
What advice do you have for new DFS players?
Read the instructions carefully before joining the leagues. I have seen many playing with Normal fantasy league playing 11 on Reverse fantasy leagues too. Remember, the basic principle of fantasy sports is that you should never spend more than half the money you have. I am pretty sure that anyone who plays DFS for a long time will end up earning money.
Do you want the DFS to be a long-term thing for you?
DFS is a long-term thing for me. There is no point in giving up something you love. DFS will always be a part-time business. Also, I will lose interest in cricket if I stop playing at HalaPlay.
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. 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.
