Twenty20 cricket is a recently started phenomenon. The first formal Twenty20 game was played in 2003. The sole purpose was to make cricket even more interesting and appealing. Though, most of the rules in Twenty20 cricket very the same as traditional cricket, some of the rules were created afresh to provide meaningfulness to the game, because of the reduced overs in the new format. The general rules are as follows:
Since, it is a limited over game of cricket; any team found wasting time would be awarded a five run penalty, subject to the discretion of umpire. Normally the interval time is of 15 minutes duration, but it can be reduced to 10 minutes in case time is running short. The match is deemed to have played in case each of the rival teams has faced or has the opportunity to face at least five overs. The maximum number of short pitched balls allowed per over is one in every T20 match. The net run rate is calculated by deducting the average runs per over scored by the team from the average runs per over scored by the rival team.
Format of the game
The format of the T20 match is the same as the format of any limited overs match. The only difference is that it has just 20 overs, as compared to the one-day internationals or any other limited overs game. There is also an interesting visible difference; the batsmen do not come from or go back to their dressing rooms during the match; instead they have a row of chairs outside the field for that purpose.
Field restrictions in T20
- At any time during the match the number of fielders on the leg side cannot exceed five.
- During the first six overs, the number of fielders outside the 30-yard circle cannot exceed two.
- After the first six overs, the number of fielders outside the 30-yard circle is limited to five.
- The fielding team also has a restriction; it has to start its 20th over within 75 minutes of the game. Failing which, an extra 6 runs would be added to the rival team's score multiplied by the number of overs bowled after 75 minutes time span.
- If the time is being wasted by the batting team, umpire has the right to add more time to it.
Decision of match in case of a tie
According to the rules in a Twenty20 cricket match, there cannot be any tie. In case of a situation, where the match ends up in a tie, each of the two teams would nominate three batsmen and one bowler to play an additional one over per side. This final over is called Eliminator or Super-over. It is also called the One 1. In first scenario, any team losing two wickets before the over is finished, loses the match. If it does not happen, the winning team is decided on the basis of run scored by each team in its Super Over.
In case of a rare situation, where there is a tie even in the mini match, the decision of the winner would be made according to the comparative number of sixes during the whole innings by each side. In the rarest of rare cases where even the number of sixes in the innings are the same, the winning team would be decided on the basis of number of fours in both the innings.
Last Updated on 12/7/2012
Last Updated on 7/26/2012
