Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey

Disclaimer: This post includes a sponsored link to a third-party platform. CricBlog has received compensation in the form of a fee.

Dream11 is a leading fantasy sports platform in India, where fans play fantasy cricket, football, kabbadi, hockey and basketball. Fans have the opportunity to win money on the platform, with the amount depending on which league they join and how much they invest. Also, Dream11 allows fans from outside India to play in free contests, which is great fun in engaging with not only the matches themselves, but with other fans.

Dream11 made the decision, from 21st February 2019, to move team deadlines from one hour before the game to official match time. This means that fans can wait until the official teams are announced, as opposed to doing extensive research beforehand to understand what the probable team might be. This has resulted in mixed reactions, with some fans praising the move and others criticising it.

In this article, let’s explore the pros and cons of Dream11’s decision to change the deadline. This will be specifically relating to Dream11’s cricket platform.

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Dream11 Deadline Decision Pros:

Focus on the best performing players

Dream11 highlighed the reason for the change was that “the skill of winning on Dream11 is about picking the BEST performing players, not picking who’s going to play.”

This certainly has some merit, with fans now given the chance to put a team together based on the official team announcements. Fans in agreement of this change love that there is no risk of picking players who don’t play, and can focus on which particular players to pick and who to captain/vice captain.

Level playing field

Dream11 also highlights another reason for its decision. They say that “Early team announcements, last-minute lineup changes or injuries can drastically impact your selection and performance on Dream11. Some people have information on this, some do not, and that may result in unfair advantage.”

This change creates a level playing field, where it does not matter what you do and don’t know, as the final teams are the basis for fantasy team decisions.

Reduce the work of ‘Dream11 Paid Sellers’

People out there make teams and sell them for a fee to make profits. Some fans can even feel cheated as they don’t get their moneys worth. This ‘service’ is often based on knowledge on who will play, supposedly giving the buyer a great chance of winning.

While this change by Dream11 won’t eliminate them completely, it does reduce their work. Fans can now make their own judgements or engage with articles that offer free Dream11 teams and tips. Like CricBlog!

Dream11 Deadline Decision Cons:

Reduced skill

While the new Dream11 still requires skill to win (i.e. selecting the right captain and vice captain), the main skill was judging the possible teams based on variables. These include conditions, fitness, series situation and the form of players. Sometimes you would get it wrong, but it’s all part of the game.

Now, there is a feeling that Dream11 has removed its key differentiator. When you have something that differentiates you from competitors, it shouldn’t be removed completely.

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System/human mistakes

A new con of this decision has been mistakes made by Dream11. Examples that come to mind include the Zimbabwe vs UAE 1st ODI in April, and then Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals in May.

Players have incorrectly been shown as playing, which has confused users. Instead of determining which are the best players to pick, users are scrambling to find out whether the information is actually correct.

Teams could be very similar

While there are more competitive leagues than others in Dream11, the competition level is still so high across the platform. What drives this is ensuring you pick 11 players who will play, which can give you a key advantage over an opponent who picked a non-playing player. The change of deadline to official match time increases the risk of very similar teams being put out because:

• Smaller selection of players to choose from
• Everyone knows who is playing

Dream11 hasn’t understood its entire audience properly

Has Dream11 made a decision without thinking properly of the consequences? Did 100% of fans request the deadline to be moved?

The feedback on social media has been mixed, which perhaps shows Dream11 hasn’t properly considered those who played because of the previous deadline time. As a result of a change so significant that impacts those who both like and dislike it, Dream11 risks losing its identity as a ‘Dream11’ platform. Instead, it risks becoming known as a ‘Playing11’ platform.

Verdict

Dream11’s reasons for the change were good in theory, but it’s important to cater for all your users.

Think of Coca Cola back in 1985. Blind taste tests with participants led to suggestions that all consumers prefered the sweeter taste of Pepsi, which led to Coca Cola completely replacing its original formula with a sweeter alternative, known as “New Coke”. Despite sales falling over the years, this led to disappointment and outrage in some parts, which had Coca Cola go back to its original formula after three months. What Coca Cola did was fail to recognise they had a loyal group of consumers who had a bond with Coke, and instead made a decision that affected everyone.

Cricket Tips: Five ways to improve as a cricket player!

The same perhaps can be said of Dream11. The best solution is to cater for both those who prefer the early deadline, and those who like the official game deadline. Splitting the platform into two shows a willingness to cater for different needs, putting consumer satisfaction at the forefront of decision making.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Dream11 go with this option in the coming weeks and months.

Thanks for reading!

Discover: Dream11-like Fantasy Cricket for your own Cricket Club or League! Check out MyClubtap today.

Pros and Cons of Dream11 Deadline Decision. Why did Dream11 change its deadline time?