Methodology
The desk's methodology is mechanical: read the surface first, the form second, and the head-to-head third. The captain pick sits on the role the surface amplifies. The differential slot sits with the vice-captain. The composition rule is one bowler, one batter, one all-rounder, regardless of format.
The methodology survives the format change. The captain weight on a T20 powerplay is the same logic as the captain weight on a Test new-ball spell: the role the surface amplifies is the role that carries the differential weight in the points table over a full cycle.
- Surface read first. Grass cover, crack pattern, uneven bounce. The desk files the read after the warm-up, not before.
- Form second. Last-five tables re-run by hand on the morning of the game, never the night before.
- Head-to-head third. A tie-breaker, not a primary input.
- Captain weight on the amplified role. A spinner on a turner, a fast bowler on a green track, a top-order bat on a flat dry surface.
- Differential slot on the vice-captain. The slot is mechanical, not a single-day hit rate.
Sources
The desk's working sources are listed in the order the desk cites them. The desk cites the official match centre first and a secondary wire second. The desk treats any uncited figure as a soft watch, not a published fact.
- BCCI match centre. Primary source for playing XI, toss, results.
- IPL match centre. Primary source for squads, scorecards.
- ESPNcricinfo statsguru. Secondary source for career form, head-to-head.
- Cricbuzz. Secondary source for live ticker, brief.
- Sportstar. Secondary source for news copy, interviews.
Beat reporters
The desk's three named beat reporters carry the working file on cricket, football and fantasy. The panel rotates every cycle, but the methodology stays consistent. Each beat reporter files a one-line quote on the homepage's expert panel voices chapter.
Priyanka Ranganathan
Cricket · Captain dossier lead
"I run the last-five tables by hand on the morning of the game, never the night before, and I treat every figure over 60 as a soft watch."
Files the captain dossier at 11:00 IST. Re-runs the form table after the toss at 14:00.
Mihir Kothari
Pitch & weather reporter
"The pitch brief is the only thing I will not write from the press box. I walk the strip or I don't file."
Files the pitch and weather brief at 09:30 IST. Re-runs the dew cue at 16:00 on evening games.
Aishwarya Sridhar
Fantasy desk editor
"Composition over names. If the build has four batters and an all-rounder, the build is wrong before it has played."
Files the fantasy desk strategy at 12:00 IST. Maintains the vice-captain differential ledger.
Corrections protocol
The desk treats every correction as a public record of the desk's working file, not as a private edit. The corrections column on the homepage carries the full record, with the dispatch number, the corrected figure, the previous figure, and the date of the correction.
How a correction is filed
A correction is filed within ten minutes of the desk receiving a verified challenge to a published figure. The challenge is logged, the figure is re-checked against the primary source, the correction is filed, and the corrections column is updated. The desk does not edit a published figure silently.
How a soft watch is logged
A soft watch is logged when the desk cannot reconcile a figure against the primary source, or when the figure is the desk's working read rather than a verified fact. The soft watch is logged in the relevant section with a "soft watch" tag and a one-line rationale.
Jurisdiction and the PROG Act 2025 boundary
The desk is an editorial sports desk. The desk does not solicit stakes, accept deposits or facilitate any real-money transaction on its own domain. Where the desk routes readers to a participating platform, the route is clearly labelled as a first-party route and complies with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025.
Participation in real-money fantasy formats is restricted to adults in eligible jurisdictions. If you or someone you know is in difficulty, the desk points to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's registered counselling services and the National Helpline (14446).
Colophon
The colophon is the desk's standing record of how it works. The colophon is updated at the end of every cycle and is the source of the methodology, the sources, the beat reporters and the corrections protocol.
- Typeface. Poppins for display and body, Noto Sans Devanagari for Hindi cricket terms.
- Palette. Grass Field: #F6FBF3 paper base, #2C7A36 deep green, #B05D00 terracotta accent.
- Stack. Native HTML5, handwritten CSS, tiny vanilla JS. No framework, no Tailwind, no JS library.
- Imagery. Real raster editorial photography, no SVG illustration, no CSS gradient placeholders, no div-based fake screenshots.
- Performance. Sticky nav uses real CSS sticky. Imagery is lazy-loaded. The hero image uses fetchpriority high. The page works on 2G and 3G connections.
- Accessibility. Native HTML over ARIA: ul/ol/li for lists, real button elements for actions, sequential headings, WCAG AA contrast.
Contact
The desk is reachable on the editorial inbox. The desk files corrections and challenges within ten minutes of receipt and acknowledges every verified challenge with a public record on the corrections column.
- Editorial inbox. [email protected]
- Corrections. [email protected]
- Standards and jurisdiction. [email protected]
- News tips and source contributions. [email protected]
How the desk works
The desk is a small editorial team with a three-reporter panel. The panel rotates every cycle, but the methodology stays consistent. The methodology is the source of the desk's claim that the desk reads the same way on every cycle.
The first beat reporter carries the cricket and captain dossier. The reporter files the captain dossier at 11:00 IST and re-runs the form table after the toss at 14:00. The reporter is the source of the captain weight in the predictions section.
The second beat reporter carries the pitch and weather. The reporter files the surface read at 09:30 IST and re-runs the dew cue at 16:00 on evening games. The reporter walks the strip or does not file; the reporter is the source of the venue cue card.
The third beat reporter carries the fantasy desk. The reporter files the strategy at 12:00 IST and maintains the vice-captain differential ledger. The reporter is the source of the composition rule and the differential slot methodology.
The desk's working file is the printouts, not the screen. The desk files the printouts in the verification meeting at the small round table at the end of every cycle. The verification meeting is the source of the colophon on the homepage; the colophon is the standing record of how the desk works.
Reader questions on the desk
How is the desk funded?
The desk is an editorial sports desk. The desk does not accept advertising on the editorial domain; the only commercial route is the first-party platform route documented in the app access chapter on the homepage.
How are beat reporters assigned?
The desk maintains a three-reporter panel for the active window. The panel rotates every cycle, and the methodology stays consistent across the rotation. The current panel is listed above.
How is a correction filed?
A correction is filed within ten minutes of the desk receiving a verified challenge to a published figure. The corrections column on the homepage carries the full record.
How is the methodology updated?
The methodology is updated at the end of every cycle. The colophon is the source of the methodology; the verification meeting is how the desk checks the colophon against the published work.