Every cricket group chat has had the argument about whose all-time IPL XI is better. A BuildXI room settles it: everyone drafts their own XI from real IPL squads, then all of them play in the same league, against each other and the franchises, until one side lifts the trophy.
How a room works
- Open a room. Choose how many managers will play, from 2 to 5 including you, and the setting: Easy, Medium or Hard. The room gets a six-character code.
- Send the invite. Share the room link on WhatsApp, or copy it anywhere else. A friend opens it and takes an open seat. Nobody needs an account.
- Everyone drafts. Each manager spins their own squads and builds their own XI under the same rules and the same setting. See how the draft works.
- The league plays out. Once every seat is filled and every XI is locked, the season starts on its own. If somebody never turns up, the host can close the empty seats and play with whoever has joined, as long as there are at least two of you.
The league
A room league always has ten teams: the managers, and IPL franchises to fill the rest of the table. Every team plays every other team twice, so each side plays eighteen games and you meet each of your friends twice. Games between two managers are played ball by ball.
| Solo season | Multiplayer room | |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | 1 | 2 to 5 |
| Teams in the league | 10 | 10 |
| League games each | 14 | 18 |
| Playoffs | Top four, with a second chance | IPL format: Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, Final |
| Who wins | The final | The final, and a franchise can win it |
The top four go through to the playoffs in the IPL's own format: first plays second in Qualifier 1, third plays fourth in the Eliminator, and the Qualifier 2 winner meets the Qualifier 1 winner in the final. Whoever wins the final wins the room, so topping the table is not enough, and if all of you slip up a franchise can take the trophy instead.
Challenge a friend from a finished season
Had a season worth showing off? When a solo season ends you can challenge a friend straight from the result. That opens a room with your XI already locked in and your record next to it, and your friend drafts to beat it.
Tips for a good room
- Agree the setting first. Hard hides every rating, which makes it a test of memory rather than arithmetic.
- Everyone spins their own squads, so nobody can take a player from you. The limit of four overseas players applies to every manager, so spend those places on the picks that matter most.
- Every pick counts. A team's batting is the average of its batters and all-rounders, and its bowling the average of its all-rounders and bowlers, so one weak pick drags a whole side down. How ratings work has the detail.
- Want to play alone first? Try a solo season or today's challenge, then check where you stand on the leaderboard.