IPL winners, caps and useful stats.

Orange Cap: a season run-scoring marker. It can reveal sustained top-order opportunity, but a fantasy decision still depends on batting position, venue and the player’s role in the next match.

Purple Cap: a season wicket-taking marker. Pair it with overs expected, bowling phase and conditions. A death bowler and a powerplay bowler can carry very different fantasy profiles even when their season totals look similar.

For any leaderboard, confirm the season and whether the statistic is a season total, career total or match record. Those labels answer different questions and should not be blended into one ranking.

Past IPL data is useful for generating questions: who gets volume, which roles produce repeat opportunities, and how a venue changes the balance between bat and ball. It is not a substitute for the announced playing XI or current conditions.

• Check whether the player is confirmed to play.
• Separate batting opportunity from reputation.
• Compare role and workload before comparing names.
• Use the contest format to decide how much risk is acceptable.

For a practical workflow, continue to the team-building framework and the captain selection guide.