Nukkad to Nation / Player mode
Player mode guide
In player mode you are one cricketer, aged 17 and playing club cricket. You bat and bowl the big moments yourself, spend experience on your skills and fight for selection at club, state, franchise and national level.
- Runs and wickets earn XP. Spend it on the skills your role needs most.
- The selection race shows how far you are from each squad and what the selectors think of you.
- Trials and interviews move the selectors. Form fades if you go quiet.
- Build a following, and sponsors start calling with deals.
How do I create my player?
Pick a role, a batting hand, a bowling style and a talent level, then choose your look. The role decides where you bat and whether you bowl.
- Batter and wicketkeeper careers live on technique, timing and how you play pace and spin.
- Pace and spin bowlers live on accuracy, movement or turn, variations and stamina.
- All-rounders do both, so they get more chances to impress and more to train.
Bowling styles cover right-arm and left-arm fast, fast-medium and medium pace, off-spin, leg-spin, slow left-arm orthodox and left-arm wrist-spin.
How do I play my moments in a match?
The match plays itself until you are on strike or bowling, then stops and asks you. On strike, choose from up to six shot cards picked for that ball; bowling, pick a delivery on the pitch map. Everything else runs automatically, and you can skip ahead by ball, over or innings.
Read the delivery first. Leave wide balls, defend good ones on the stumps, and save lofted shots for overpitched or short balls. When bowling, the scouting note tells you what the batter dislikes, such as the short ball or turn. Tick Let the game choose my shots and deliveries if you want to watch instead.
How should I spend XP?
Spend XP on the two or three skills your role depends on, and leave the rest until later. You earn XP in every match you play: a base amount, plus more for your runs, wickets and catches, and a bonus in international matches. Each skill point costs more as the skill rises, and costs double once you pass your potential.
| Role | Train first |
|---|---|
| Batter or keeper | Technique, timing, and your weaker side out of playing pace or spin |
| Pace bowler | Accuracy, pace, movement |
| Spin bowler | Accuracy, turn (flight), variations |
| All-rounder | Your stronger discipline first, then the other |
How does the selection race work?
The Selection race page shows every squad you are chasing: your club XI, the state squad, the national squad and the franchise leagues. Each list shows where you rank and how many points you are from the cut.
- Selectors’ favour rises with big scores, successful trials and what you say in interviews. It fades if you go quiet.
- Followers are the fans you have won. They bring sponsors.
- Dressing room is how your team-mates rate you. Credit them and they back you when places are tight.
How do trials and the T20 draft work?
When you are close to a squad, the selectors may invite you to a trial. You choose the drill that shows you at your best, such as facing pace, facing spin, a bowling spell, fitness or fielding. A good trial moves you up their list; a bad one costs a little favour.
Franchise T20 leagues pick players by auction or draft. Set your base price on the Selection race page: a lower price gets you picked more easily, a higher one pays more if a team wants you.
How do I build my brand?
On the Brand and style page you choose a nickname that appears in the commentary, a shirt number, your celebration for fifties, hundreds and five-fors, your bat and your look. Once your following grows, brands offer sponsorship deals with a fee each year. Accept the ones that fit and they pay you every month.
Common questions
How long does it take to play for my country?
A gifted player who keeps performing can reach the state side in his first or second season. The national selectors pick about the top 15 players per format by rating and form, so a few strong seasons at state and franchise level usually come first.
What happens if I am dropped?
You go back to your club or state side. Keep scoring there, win back the selectors’ favour and you will be called up again.
Can I retire?
Your playing career ends at 40 at the latest. Your records stay in the game’s history.
Does my player get older?
Yes. You age every season. Young players improve fastest, and skills start to fade in your thirties.
Next: read the tips to win more matches or the full manual.