Every IPL punter has heard about fancy markets. Top wicket-taker, highest individual score, number of sixes in the match — these markets run alongside the match-odds market and generate serious volume during the IPL season. But do they actually offer edge, or are they just entertainment that bleeds money slowly?
The honest answer depends heavily on which fancy market, at what price, and how much research you’ve done. Some fancy markets are sharply priced and virtually impossible to beat. Others have genuine inefficiencies that patient, well-informed bettors can exploit. This guide tells you which is which.
What Are Fancy Markets in IPL
Fancy markets are proposition bets tied to specific in-game events rather than the match result. On Playinexch cricket, common IPL fancy markets include: top batsman of the match, top bowler of the match, total sixes in the match, total fours, player to score a fifty or century, and method of dismissal for specific batters.
These markets settle at the end of the relevant event — often mid-innings or at match end — giving them a different rhythm from the match-odds market. Some settle fast. Some keep you waiting until the last ball.
How Playinexch Prices Fancy Markets
Fancy markets on Playinexch run on the same exchange model as match odds — punters back and lay against each other, with the platform taking commission. This means the price is set by market participants, not a single bookmaker. Thin fancy markets can have wide spreads and irrational prices. Deep ones are close to efficient.
Top Batsman Market: Where the Edge Hides
Top batsman is the most popular fancy market and the hardest to beat consistently. In a 22-player IPL match, only 4–5 batters typically have a realistic chance of being the top scorer. The rest are noise. The pricing on the realistic candidates tends to be reasonably efficient.
Edge exists in specific scenarios. Batting order surprises — a team promoting a middle-order batter in the powerplay — can create mispricing before the market adjusts. If you spot a batting-order change before the market does, the few minutes between team announcement and market re-pricing are your window.
The Opening Position Advantage
Openers face more balls than any other batters in T20. The top-batsman market disproportionately rewards openers. Historically, openers account for around 40–45% of top-batsman settlements in T20 matches. If your fancied opener is priced at 4.0 and they have a 30% historical top-batsman rate, that is value. If they’re at 2.0 for the same 30% rate, it is overpriced.
Total Sixes Market: Real Numbers, Real Edge
The total sixes market is one of the more transparent fancy markets. IPL sixes data is extensive, venue-specific, and publicly available. You can calculate historical averages per venue and compare them to the market line fairly easily.
| IPL Venue | Avg sixes per match | Avg fours per match |
|---|---|---|
| Chinnaswamy, Bengaluru | 22 | 28 |
| Wankhede, Mumbai | 20 | 27 |
| Eden Gardens | 17 | 25 |
| Chepauk, Chennai | 14 | 24 |
| Kotla, Delhi | 16 | 26 |
If Bengaluru’s over/under line for sixes sits at 18, and the historical average is 22, the over has a structural edge at that line. Markets sometimes under-adjust for small grounds. That gap is where value lives.
Fancy Markets That Are Mostly Noise
Some fancy markets are hard to beat even with research. Method of dismissal bets for specific batters have very high variance — even a batter who predominantly edges behind may be run out or LBW in any given match. Small sample sizes mean historical rates are unreliable.
Player-specific century or fifty markets are also difficult. A batter’s chance of hitting a fifty depends not just on their ability but on the match situation, batting position promoted to, required run rate, and number of balls available. These variables change every game. The market cannot price them perfectly and neither can you, so the edge is unclear.
Avoid Novelty Fancy Markets
Fancy markets like “first ball of match — dot or run” or “total no-balls in the match” are entertainment products. They have extremely wide spreads and the market makers are protecting themselves against randomness. These are not vehicles for consistent returns.
Commission Impact on Fancy Markets
Playinexch charges commission on winning bets in all markets, including fancy ones. In high-margin fancy markets (wide spreads, low liquidity), the commission bite on top of the spread makes breaking even very difficult. Only enter fancy markets with tight spreads and clear statistical backing.
If a fancy market has a 10% spread AND a 2% commission on winnings, you need to be right 60%+ of the time at even odds just to break even. That is a very high bar for prop betting.
Using Fancy Markets to Hedge Match Positions
Fancy markets can serve a secondary purpose: partial hedging. If you’ve backed Team A to win and they start brilliantly (say 60/0 after 6 overs), their match odds have shortened to 1.20. One way to de-risk your position without fully closing is to back a large-total sixes market — if Team A scores 220+, the sixes market likely settles over, compensating for any match-odds movement. Not a perfect hedge, but a partial risk reducer.
For more on managing multiple positions, see the Playinexch review on in-play market features.
FAQ: Fancy Markets on Playinexch
Are fancy markets available for all IPL matches on Playinexch?
Most IPL matches have a standard set of fancy markets. Coverage may vary for early-season or less high-profile fixtures. Playoff matches typically have the widest fancy market selection.
Which fancy market is easiest to research?
Total sixes and total boundaries are the most data-driven fancy markets. Historical venue averages are publicly available and relatively stable year over year, making pre-match research practical.
Can I trade fancy markets in-play on Playinexch?
Yes, most fancy markets remain open in-play. The top-batsman market, for example, updates throughout the innings as the leading scorer changes. Trading is possible but requires fast reactions and awareness of market suspension rules between overs.
How do I check historical IPL sixes data before betting?
Cricinfo’s Statsguru and Howstat both provide ball-by-ball IPL data that can be used to calculate venue-specific averages. Build a simple spreadsheet with the last 3 seasons of data for each venue before betting sixes markets.
What is the biggest mistake punters make in IPL fancy markets?
Treating fancy markets as entertainment bets without checking whether the price reflects the statistical reality. A top-batsman bet on a favourite batter “because they’re in form” without checking their actual historical rate and current odds is hope, not strategy.