The weather conditions, the toss and other such factors play a huge role in determining the final result of a cricket match. Most of the time, climate and weather is something that we fantasy cricket players do not take into consideration while making our teams. We know that good weather conditions and clear skies can help batsmen score more runs, but what do we do when there is rain predicted during a match? 
 

Here we will discuss the effects of rain on a match and how you can select a great team on Howzat accordingly.

• Proper research about weather conditions and the pitch should be done before selecting your team as the DLS method could be a factor later on in the game.

• Usually predicted rain means overcast conditions, which is a mouth-watering factor for a fast bowler. Thus, it becomes a no brainer to select the majority of bowler in your team as the movement in the air and off the seam is a nightmare for batsmen.

• As the rain interruption would usually mean a reduction in overs, it’s important to recruit batsmen in the team who are expected to face maximum deliveries. Thus, having maximum batsmen from the team batting first would help the cause, because if there is a rain interruption midway, the overs for the team batting second would decrease but the team batting first would have already played their maximum quota of overs.

• It also becomes desirable to have at least some knowledge of the DLS method. We can all search about it on the internet but the fact remains that it is a very complicated method to understand. However, in short, we must always remember that the team batting second some way or the other gets an advantage by the DLS method. Although the number of balls in the innings has decreased, they still have a quota of 10 wickets to play with.

• Due to reduced overs in the second innings, middle-order batsmen usually get no or fewer deliveries to face. Thus, it’s advisable to mostly just stick to the top-order batsman from the team batting second if you want to play safe.

• On a similar note, bowlers from the team bowling first would get considerably more deliveries to bowl compared to the team bowling second. Thus, it’s advisable to select more bowlers from the team bowling first.

• Captaincy and vice-captaincy is another important aspect to consider around here. Players with maximum participation in the first innings (batsmen from the batting team and bowlers from the bowling team) tend to have maximum point potential and are thus best suited for captaincy and vice-captaincy.

• Avoid experimenting with new players in such conditions as they might not get enough deliveries to prove their worth. Experienced, reputed players who are likely to get maximum deliveries should be preferred.

These are some tips and tricks to select your team smartly according to weather conditions and considering rain predictions and get an edge over your rivals. Hope they help you select the best team and win big. Happy gaming!