Sixer captain pick arithmetic · the math behind the 2.0x multiplier

What this guide covers

This guide walks through the math behind the captain (2.0x) and vice-captain (1.5x) multipliers in fantasy cricket. The guide is a long-form read for readers who want to understand the arithmetic, not just apply the desk's pick. The guide is published as a single HTML page, designed for slow reading with a notebook, and walks through three worked examples, the per-point cost arithmetic and the desk's three captain-arithmetic rules.

How the 2.0x multiplier compounds

The 2.0x multiplier on the captain's fantasy points is the single highest-leverage decision in any fantasy contest. A captain who scores 70 base fantasy points contributes 140 weighted points to the squad. The same player as vice-captain contributes 105 weighted points. The same player in a non-captain slot contributes 70 weighted points. The captain multiplier therefore adds 70 weighted points (captain minus non-captain) or 35 weighted points (vice-captain minus non-captain) for the same player at the same salary.

The 2.0x multiplier compounds with the boundary bonus, the strike-rate bonus, the milestone bonus and the bowling points. A captain who scores 35 runs off 15 balls (strike-rate 233) with two sixes and one four contributes: 35 runs (35 points) + 1 four bonus (4 points) + 2 six bonuses (12 points) + strike-rate above 200 (12 points) = 63 base batting points. At 2.0x, the captain contributes 126 weighted batting points. The same innings at 1.0x would contribute 63 weighted points. The captain multiplier therefore adds 63 weighted points to this innings alone.

Why the math matters for captain selection

The math matters because the captain pick is also the salary slot where the arithmetic compounds with the squad's salary cap. A captain who costs 14 percent of the cap and delivers 70 base points contributes 140 weighted points at ₹ 14 of weighted salary, for a per-point cost of ₹ 0.10. A captain who costs 17 percent of the cap and delivers 55 base points contributes 110 weighted points at ₹ 17 of weighted salary, for a per-point cost of ₹ 0.155. The first captain is the better pick on both absolute weighted points and per-point cost.

The math also matters for the vice-captain mirror. The vice-captain picks up the 2.0x multiplier if the named captain is dropped from the playing XI before the toss. The desk always pairs the captain with a vice-captain from a different franchise or a different role so that a single resting decision does not knock both multipliers out of the squad.

Three worked captain-arithmetic examples

Example one: a balanced captain pick at a small-boundary T20 venue. Captain A. Iyer at ₹ 11.5 L (11.5 percent of cap), expected 70 base points at Wankhede (small square boundaries, six-hitting map favours his arc). Captain contribution: 140 weighted points at ₹ 11.5 L weighted salary (2.0x weight on the captain's salary), per-point cost ₹ 0.082. Vice-captain H. Pandya at ₹ 10 L (10 percent), expected 65 base points (35 batting + 30 bowling at 1.5x = 48.75 weighted points, but the multiplier is on the points not the salary, so the salary remains 1.0x weighted). Wait, correction: the captain and vice-captain multipliers apply to the player's points, not the player's salary. The weighted salary for the captain is 2.0x the captain's salary and the weighted salary for the vice-captain is 1.5x the vice-captain's salary. So the captain contributes 140 weighted points at ₹ 23 L weighted salary (per-point cost ₹ 0.164) and the vice-captain contributes 97.5 weighted points at ₹ 15 L weighted salary (per-point cost ₹ 0.154). The total captain and vice-captain contribution: 237.5 weighted points at ₹ 38 L weighted salary, per-point cost ₹ 0.16.

Example two: a heavy-captain pick at a turning venue. Captain J. Bumrah at ₹ 12 L (12 percent), expected 75 base points (3 wickets + maiden overs + dot-ball rate) at Chepauk. Captain contribution: 150 weighted points at ₹ 24 L weighted salary, per-point cost ₹ 0.16. Vice-captain a frontline batter at ₹ 9 L (9 percent), expected 50 base points. Vice-captain contribution: 75 weighted points at ₹ 13.5 L weighted salary, per-point cost ₹ 0.18. Total: 225 weighted points at ₹ 37.5 L weighted salary, per-point cost ₹ 0.167.

Example three: a differential captain pick at a balanced venue. Captain a lower-order power-hitter at ₹ 7 L (7 percent), expected 55 base points (mostly six bonuses) at Eden Gardens. Captain contribution: 110 weighted points at ₹ 14 L weighted salary, per-point cost ₹ 0.127. Vice-captain a part-time off-spin all-rounder at ₹ 8.5 L (8.5 percent), expected 45 base points. Vice-captain contribution: 67.5 weighted points at ₹ 12.75 L weighted salary, per-point cost ₹ 0.189. Total: 177.5 weighted points at ₹ 26.75 L weighted salary, per-point cost ₹ 0.151.

Captain-arithmetic checklist

• Compute the captain's base points from the last five matches at the venue.
• Multiply the captain's base points by 2.0x for the weighted contribution.
• Compute the captain's weighted salary as 2.0x the captain's actual salary.
• Divide the captain's weighted salary by the captain's weighted points for the per-point cost.
• Repeat for the vice-captain at 1.5x for both the points and the salary.
• Add the captain and vice-captain contributions and compare to the squad average.

Related reading

Read the captain picks hub page for the desk's matchday-by-matchday ledger, the salary cap page for the per-point cost walkthrough, and the points system page for the operator's published scoring tables.