Captain picks — defensible, archived, never bought
The fantasy captain picks desk for tonight and the rest of the week. Every pick is dated, justified, and post-match verified.
Tonight's captain pick
Pick: Suryakumar Yadav (MI).
Match: MI vs RCB, Wankhede Stadium, 19:30 IST.
Why: He averages 48 at the Wankhede over the last three seasons, with a strike rate north of 150 against pace. RCB's seam rotation will be Boult, Hazlewood and Ferguson — all three he has hit at well above his career rate in previous matchups. Alternative captain: Hardik Pandya for the all-rounder pick.
Tomorrow's captain pick
Pick: Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK).
Match: CSK vs KKR, Chepauk, 15:30 IST.
Why: He averages 51 at Chepauk since the start of last season with a strike rate north of 145 against pace bowling. KKR's pace rotation starts with Starc and Harshit, both of whom he reads comfortably. Alternative captain: Shivam Dube if you want a differential.
This week's three picks
Three picks across the three fixtures that matter most this week, with a short verdict on each.
Wed (today)
Suryakumar Yadav — form, venue and matchup all agree. Captain.
Thu (tomorrow)
Ruturaj Gaikwad — slow-deck adaptation is the most underrated skill in this format.
Sun
Shubman Gill — five fifties in seven at this venue, including three player-of-the-match awards.
Method
Every captain pick comes from the same method, applied in this order:
- Form: most recent 5 innings of the candidate player at this kind of role.
- Venue: overall record at the ground, including the last 3 seasons.
- Matchup: head-to-head against the likely XI of the opposition.
- Toss lean: captain pick may shift if the venue is being chased.
- Late team news: if the candidate is dropped or moved out of role, we switch.
The first three are usually consistent across the day; the last two only become clear in the morning.
Track record
We publish every past pick on the captain picks archive. If a pick performed well, the post-match report cites the figures. If a pick performed badly, we've recorded that too and revised the method accordingly.
| Date | Pick | Match | Predicted ROI | Actual ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11 | Suryakumar Yadav | MI vs RCB | 3.2× | 3.84× |
| Apr 10 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | CSK vs LSG | 2.8× | 3.10× |
| Apr 09 | Shubman Gill | GT vs DC | 3.0× | 2.40× |
| Apr 08 | Andre Russell | KKR vs PBKS | 2.5× | 2.91× |
| Apr 07 | Hardik Pandya | MI vs RR | 2.7× | 2.10× |
| Apr 06 | Rajat Patidar | RCB vs DC | 2.4× | 2.55× |
Archive
The archive goes back to the start of the 2024 season. Use the date filter on the captain picks page to find a specific match or venue. Each row links to the post-match report that justified the call.
FAQs
How is the captain pick chosen?
By form, venue, and matchup, applied in that order. Late team news is the most common reason for a switch.
What if the captain pick is on the bench?
If the captain pick is in your XI but not the playing XI of their franchise, the captaincy credits are wasted. Always check the announced XI 30 minutes before toss.
What if I disagree with the captain pick?
Pick the captain you can defend. The captain picks page is a reader aid, not a rule book.
How is ROI calculated?
Predicted ROI is the historical average x captain multiplier. Actual ROI is the realised fantasy points divided by the player's credit cost.
Does the captain pick table update after matches?
Yes, each row is updated with the actual ROI within an hour of the match ending.
Where do you publish when a pick was wrong?
In the corrections log on the captain picks page, and the post-match report for that fixture.
