Why coaches are switching to GDS IND Cricket
Most fantasy cricket games run for a few weeks, hand out a leaderboard and wipe the slate clean when the final's done. We do it differently. GameDay Squad IND Cricket is free to play, pays real cash round after round, and the player cards you collect are yours to keep. The Bumrah you pack this season is the Bumrah you start with next season.
Real money, every round. Cash for the top spot in Classic, Challenger and Champion every round, plus seasonal prizes up to $2,500 for the Champion winner.
Free to play, free to win. Every coach gets free starter packs, and Classic pays cash to the round winner without you spending a cent.
Your cards, forever. Pack a Diamond Virat Kohli once and he's in your reserves for as long as you play.
Four competitions and two cups from one squad. Starter, Classic, Challenger and Champion on the platform, with the Classic Cup and the GDS Cup running off your Classic score.
Cards you can collect
Every card is yours to keep. The higher the rarity, the bigger the score multiplier. A few of the cards coaches are chasing right now:
How GDS IND Cricket works
Open your packs. Download the app, sign up free, and you'll get starter packs of Bronze player cards straight away. That's enough to field a full squad.
Set your 11. One wicketkeeper, three batters, four all-rounders and three bowlers. No captain, no bench, no dual positions. Every one of your 11 scores.
Beat the rolling lockout. Cricket runs a rolling lockout, so each player locks one minute before their own game starts. You can keep swapping everyone else right up until their game begins.
Win cash and cards. Round prizes land every Tuesday, seasonal prizes at the end. Cash goes to your wallet, packs go to your collection, and better cards unlock harder competitions.
The 2026 prizes
The 2026 season wrapped up with the Grand Final round on 31 May. Cash was paid to the round winner in Classic, Challenger and Champion every round, and the seasonal prizes go all the way up to $2,500. Here's what the top spot pays.
Competition | Round winner | Season winner |
|---|---|---|
Starter | 5 x 3 Player Common Packs + 4 Starter Packs | 2026 Prize Card |
Classic | $25 + 10 x 3 Player Common Packs + 4 Starter Packs | $500 + 2026 Prize Card |
Challenger | $50 + 3 Player Rare Pack | $750 + 2026 Prize Card |
Champion | $100 + 3 Player Unique Pack | $2,500 + 2026 Prize Card |
Prizes run deep, not just to the winner. Champion pays cash to the top three every round, Classic pays packs to the top 500, and the top five in Classic, Challenger and Champion all earn a 2026 Prize Card at season's end. The full round-by-round breakdown is in our IND Cricket prize table.
Pick your competition
Every coach starts in Starter and climbs from there. Your squad's combined salary decides which competitions you can enter, and salary is set by card rarity, never by how well a player is going. A Gold Cameron Green costs exactly the same as a Gold Finn Allen.
Competition | Salary cap | Cards allowed | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
Starter | $5.5m | Bronze only | Brand new coaches. Pack prizes, level playing field. |
Classic | $7.5m | Silver, Gold, Platinum + 1 Special Card | Everyone. The biggest comp and the one the cups are built on. |
Challenger | $8.5m | Gold to Legend + 3 Special Cards | Coaches with real depth. First comp where Diamond and Legend cards can play. |
Champion | No cap | Platinum, Diamond, Legend + Special Cards | The top of the ladder. Biggest cash of the season. |
New for 2026
A bigger Classic. The Classic salary cap has gone up to $7.5m, and card eligibility has been updated for Classic, Challenger and Champion.
More rounds. The 2026 season ran longer than ever, with round prizes paid all the way through to Round 62.
Two cups. The Classic Cup and the GDS Cup both debuted this season. Details below.
Untradable Prize Cards. From 2026, Prize Cards won as seasonal prizes can't be sold, auctioned or traded. They're a record of what you did.
How scoring works
Your round score comes from what your players actually do in the middle, then multiplied by the rarity of the card you own. Runs, wickets, catches and dot balls all count. Ducks and extras cost you.
Stat | Points |
|---|---|
Run scored | 1 |
Boundary / Six | 1 / 2 |
30 / 50 / 100 run bonus | 4 / 8 / 16 |
Duck | -2 |
Wicket (excluding run out) | 20 |
Maiden over | 15 |
Dot ball | 1 |
3 / 4 / 5 wicket bonus | 4 / 8 / 16 |
Wide or no ball | -1 |
Catch | 8 |
Run out | 15 |
Stumping (wicketkeeper only) | 15 |
3 / 4 / 5 catch bonus | 4 / 6 / 8 |
Bowlers get 20 a wicket and a point for every dot ball, so a tight four overs adds up fast. Full table on our scoring page.
The card multiplier
This is the bit no other platform has. The same player on a better card scores more.
Card | Multiplier | Salary hit |
|---|---|---|
Bronze | 1.0x | $500k |
Silver | 1.1x | $600k |
Gold | 1.2x | $700k |
Platinum | 1.3x | $800k |
Diamond | 1.4x | $900k |
Legend | 1.5x | $1m |
Two cups, one Classic squad
Set your Classic squad every round and you're automatically in the running for both cups. No extra entry, no extra work.
The 2026 Classic Cup: the top 128 Classic coaches after Round 17 go into a head-to-head survivor bracket from Round 18. Lose and you're out. Survive seven weeks and you're picking in the 2026 Prize Card Draft.
The 2026 GDS Cup: the top 100 Classic coaches after Round 53 play nine rounds of survival elimination. The lowest scorers are cut every round until two are left for the Grand Final in Round 62.
Built for Australian coaches
Every lockout is shown in your local time, and our community lives on Discord where coaches trade cards, argue about projections and post their squads before the first ball. In-app you'll see the active player pool, so you know who's actually on a playing list, plus the leaderboard for every competition in a round-by-round or full-season view.
Ready to build your squad?
It takes about two minutes. Download GameDay Squad, open your starter packs and set your first 11. The cards you pack now are the ones you'll carry into the next season of IND Cricket, so there's no reason to wait for the first ball.
Frequently asked questions
Is GameDay Squad IND Cricket really free to play?
Yes. Sign-up is free, you get starter packs free, and free packs keep coming. Cash prizes are paid in Classic, Challenger and Champion without any entry fee, and Starter pays packs. A monthly membership gets you more packs and perks, but you don't need it to win.
Can I win real money playing fantasy cricket in Australia?
You can on GameDay Squad. Classic, Challenger and Champion all pay cash to the round winner, from $25 for a Classic round win up to $2,500 for the Champion season winner. Cash lands in your GDS wallet and you can withdraw it.
How is this different from other fantasy cricket games?
Three ways. We pay cash, not merch. Your team doesn't reset each season because the player cards are yours to keep. And the same player can score differently depending on the rarity of the card you own, which makes collecting and trading part of the game.
How does scoring work in GDS IND Cricket?
Players score from real match stats (runs, boundaries, wickets, dot balls, catches and more), then that score is multiplied by your card's rarity, from 1.0x for Bronze up to 1.5x for a Legend. There are no captains. The full table is above.
When does my squad lock?
IND Cricket uses a rolling lockout. Each player locks one minute before their own game's scheduled start, shown in your local time in the app. Everyone else stays open, so you can keep swapping players from later games right up until they begin. If a game is delayed, the lockout still happens at the original time.
How many players do I need?
Eleven, all of them scoring: a wicketkeeper, three batters, four all-rounders and three bowlers. There's no bench and no emergencies. You must fill every slot or you'll score zero for the round.
What does the monthly membership include?
Members get a monthly pack drop and access to the card exchange, which is the fastest way to build a Challenger or Champion squad. The competitions and cash prizes are open to everyone regardless.
How and when are cash prizes paid?
Round prizes are settled after each round is finalised and credited to your GDS wallet on the Tuesday following the round. Seasonal prizes are paid after the final round. You can withdraw or spend on the marketplace.
Do I need to be 18 or over?
Yes. GameDay Squad is for coaches aged 18 and over, and it's Australian owned and operated.
When does the IND Cricket season run?
The 2026 season finished with the Grand Final round on 31 May 2026. The season runs from late March through to the end of May each year. You can sign up and open packs now, and the cards you collect carry straight into the next season.