Sixer matchday desk · today's fixtures, squad primers and calendar

What the matchday desk covers

The desk publishes a matchday primer for every India fixture across formats. The primer is published 24 hours before the toss and updated within 30 minutes of the toss. The primer covers the likely playing XI, the captain pick ledger, the venue reading, the toss update and the desk's matchday forecast.

How the desk publishes a matchday primer

The desk drafts the primer on matchday minus one (24 hours before the toss), updates it on matchday morning with the latest pitch report and weather forecast, and revises it within 30 minutes of the toss with the official playing XI. The primer includes a captain pick ledger and a salary cap walkthrough.

Why the matchday desk matters for fantasy

The matchday primer is the single most-read desk product. Readers use the primer to build their squad, pick their captain and lock their team before the toss. The desk's primers are designed to give readers an edge by reading the venue, the toss and the squad arithmetic before the contest window closes.

Three recent matchday primers

Primer one: Mumbai Champs vs Bengaluru Royals at Wankhede. The desk reads the small square boundary and the dew factor, predicts a chasing-side win and picks J. Bumrah as captain. Primer two: Chennai Kings vs Hyderabad Sun at Chepauk. The desk reads the dry surface and the spin-friendly conditions, predicts a low-scoring match and picks a specialist spinner as captain. Primer three: India A vs India B at Mohali. The desk reads the Test format and the green pitch, predicts a fast-bowler dominant match and picks the strike bowler as captain.

Matchday reading checklist

• Read the primer 24 hours before the toss.
• Update your reading with the pitch report on matchday morning.
• Check the toss update within 30 minutes of the toss.
• Lock your team 15 minutes before the toss.
• Read the recap after the match.

Common matchday mistakes

The desk's most common matchday mistakes: locking the team after the toss (the app will not let you edit), ignoring the dew factor in evening matches (the toss trend can flip at small-boundary venues), trusting social media rumours about the playing XI (the desk only trusts the official announcement). The desk recommends always waiting for the official playing XI.

Related reading

Read the desk's predictions page for matchday forecasts, the fantasy tips page for the matchday playbook and the live matches page for the live points feed.