By Duy Huynh 
Why I Dug Into This Dream11 Thing
Honestly, I’ve been burned before picking random cricket players for fantasy leagues. Remembered last season when I threw together Hurricanes vs Stars players like tossing salad – ended up 30,000 spots down the leaderboard. Ouch. So this time I swore to actually try.
My Disaster First Team Attempt
Started by just grabbing big names like that spinner Haris with the cool beard. But five minutes later realized – wait, is he even playing today? Pulled up news pages on my phone while brushing teeth. One site said he’s nursing a hammy, another said he’s fit. Had to message my cricket-mad cousin. Turned out Haris ain’t playing. Almost wrecked it already.
The Player Hunt Strategy
Dumped coffee in my thermos and camped at kitchen table:
- First, scribbled last match stats on a napkin – Stoinis absolutely murdered it with bat+ball
- Checked weather app – rain forecast made me scratch off all pace bowlers
- Scrolled through player social media. Saw Stars’ keeper practicing sweep shots – took that as sign he’s in form
The Captain Nightmare
Spent forever deciding captain. Was gonna pick Short till my buddy texted “Check recent strike rate vs spinners.” Pulled that data up and nearly choked – Short’s been trash against leg spin. Stars have two leg spinners! Chucked him immediately. Almost cried.
My Final Lightbulb Moment
Almost submitted team when suddenly remembered Maxwell’s knee injury. Dug deeper into team news – found leaked training pics showing him sprinting. Risked it. Made him vice-captain. Put Stoinis as captain. Saved changes with 2 minutes left. Heart pounding like drum.
Painful Lessons Learned
Walked away with three scars:
- Never trust player reputations from last season. Form changes fast
- Weather apps matter more than star ratings sometimes
- Instagram practice videos actually give legit hints
Won’t know till match finishes if it worked. But at least I didn’t pick injured players this time. Small wins.
yadanarbon 