An IPL draft simulator lets you build an XI by picking players from real IPL squads, then tests that XI over a season. BuildXI is a free one you play in the browser.
What is an IPL draft simulator?
An IPL draft simulator is a game where you pick one player at a time from IPL squads to fill an eleven, then see how the side performs. BuildXI is a free IPL draft simulator: it covers all 156 IPL team-seasons from 2008 to 2025, needs no sign-up and runs in the browser.
How an IPL draft simulator works
BuildXI is the worked example. A draft takes eleven spins and ends with a full simulated season.
- Spin: each of your eleven spins lands on a real IPL squad from 2008 to 2025.
- Pick: you take exactly one player from the squad you land on.
- Limit: at most 4 overseas players, the same as a real IPL playing XI.
- Season: your XI plays a full simulated season, and the target is 14-0.
The full rules, including how the season and the playoffs are decided, are on how it works.
Draft game vs auction game
A draft game and an auction game both build a squad, but they ask different questions. A draft asks which player you take from what is in front of you. An auction asks how much of a budget you spend. For the full explanation of auction games, read what an IPL auction game is.
| Draft game | Auction game | |
|---|---|---|
| How you get players | Pick one from each squad you land on | Bid for players |
| Budget | None | A purse to manage |
| BuildXI is | Yes | No |
Other IPL draft games people play
These are the cricket draft and fantasy games that appear in search results for this query. BuildXI is first; the others are listed by name only, so check each site for what it offers.
- BuildXI (buildxi.in): a free IPL draft game with eleven spins across IPL squads from 2008 to 2025, at most 4 overseas players, and a simulated season with a 14-0 target.
- Drafty Sports (draftysports.com): a cricket draft and fantasy game site.
- The Cricket Draft (thecricketdraft.com): a cricket draft game site.
- Crikky (crikky.com): a cricket draft and fantasy game site.
Play an IPL draft with friends
Open a room, share the link and draft in one shared league on the multiplayer page. Or start a solo draft from the BuildXI home page.
Questions
Is there a free IPL draft simulator?
Yes. BuildXI is a free IPL draft simulator. There is no entry fee, nothing to buy and no sign-up, and you play it in the browser at buildxi.in.
Do I need to download anything to play?
No. BuildXI runs in the browser on a phone or a laptop. There is no app to install and no account to create.
Can I play an IPL draft with friends?
Yes. BuildXI has a multiplayer mode: you open a room, share the link, and your friends draft their own XI in the same league. See the multiplayer page at /multiplayer for how it works.
Is BuildXI an auction game?
No. BuildXI is a draft game: you take one player from each squad you land on, with no budget and no bidding. For how auction games differ, read the explainer on what an IPL auction game is.
How long does an IPL draft take in BuildXI?
About 3 minutes. You make eleven picks, with at most 4 overseas players, and then the full season is simulated.
More: play an IPL draft with friends, what an IPL auction game is.