T20 vs ODI Fantasy Cricket: How Your Team Should Change

On this page

1. The formats side by side
2. What this means in T20
3. What this means in ODIs
4. Who to favour in each format
5. Where the points come from, phase by phase
6. A sensible team balance
7. Mistakes when switching formats
8. Captaincy in each format
9. What about Tests?
10. Day or night changes things too
11. The quick version
12. Frequently asked questions

A fantasy team that would win a T20 can sink in a one-day international, and the other way round. The players are the same; the shape of the match is not. Understanding that shape is the quickest way to improve your picks in both formats.

The formats side by side

	T20	ODI
Overs per side	20	50
Most overs one bowler can bowl	4	10
Powerplay	Overs 1–6	Overs 1–10, with further fielding limits to the end
Length of match	About three hours	About eight hours
Batters who usually bat	Five or six	Seven or eight

What this means in T20

• Batting position rules. With only 120 balls in an innings, the top three can use up more than half of them. A fine batter at number six may face eight balls.
• The powerplay belongs to the openers. Only two fielders are allowed outside the circle in the first six overs, so openers score fastest then.
• Death bowlers collect wickets. Batters are swinging at everything in the last four overs, and wickets fall in clusters.
• One over can decide your day. Results swing more in T20. Expect more variance and do not judge a pick on one match.

What this means in ODIs

• The middle order comes alive. Numbers four and five often bat for 25 overs or more and have time to reach fifty or a hundred.
• Spinners matter more. Ten overs each through the middle of the innings means plenty of chances for wickets and for an economical spell.
• All-rounders are gold. Ten overs with the ball and a real innings with the bat give them more opportunities than anyone else.
• Form counts for more. Over 100 overs the better players usually come out on top, so results are steadier.

Who to favour in each format

Role	T20	ODI
Openers	First picks	Strong picks
Numbers 3–5	Number 3 only, usually	Core of your team
Finishers (6–7)	Risky — few balls	Useful if they also bowl
New-ball bowlers	Good	Good
Death bowlers	First picks	Good
Spinners	On slow pitches	Almost always worth one or two

Where the points come from, phase by phase

Phase	T20	ODI
Powerplay	Overs 1–6: openers attack; new-ball bowlers hunt early wickets	Overs 1–10: openers build a platform; swing bowlers are at their most dangerous
Middle overs	Overs 7–15: spinners and batters rebuilding or accelerating	Overs 11–40: the longest phase — middle order, spinners and all-rounders
Death overs	Overs 16–20: finishers and yorker bowlers	Overs 41–50: set batters cut loose; death bowlers take late wickets

Ask of every player: in which phase does he do his work, and how long does that phase last in this format? A middle-overs specialist has nine overs to work with in a T20 and thirty in an ODI.

A sensible team balance

• T20: three or four top-order batters, one or two all-rounders who bowl their full four overs, and bowlers used in the powerplay and at the death.
• ODI: both sets of openers are less essential; build around numbers three to five, two all-rounders and a bowling group with at least one spinner.
• Either format: stay within the role limits shown on the team screen, and do not take more than six or seven players from one side.

Mistakes when switching formats

• Carrying a T20 finisher into an ODI team and expecting the same impact — or the reverse, picking an ODI anchor for a T20.
• Ignoring spinners in ODIs because they disappointed in the last T20.
• Judging a T20 pick on one failure. Short formats are noisy; look at five matches, not one.
• Forgetting that a rain-shortened ODI behaves like a T20.

Captaincy in each format

In T20, lean towards an opener or a death bowler: they are guaranteed involvement in the phases where points come fastest. In ODIs, an all-rounder or a number three or four is hard to beat. Our guide to choosing a captain and vice-captain goes through the reasoning.

What about Tests?

Test matches run for up to five days with two innings a side, and bowlers have no limit on overs. Patience is rewarded: top-order batters who can bat for a day and bowlers who carry a heavy workload dominate the points.

Day or night changes things too

In evening matches, dew can settle on the outfield in the second innings. A wet ball is harder to grip, which hurts spinners and helps the chasing side. When dew is expected, lean towards batters from the team likely to bat second, and be careful with spinners who will bowl late.

The quick version

• T20: top order, death bowlers, accept the swings.
• ODI: middle order, spinners, all-rounders, trust form.
• Either format: check the line-ups and the pitch report before the deadline.

Both formats are listed in the Cricket tab — see fantasy cricket on Drem for how to find a match and join a contest.

Frequently asked questions