Twenty20 is a form of
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the
England and Wales Cricket BoardThe England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
(ECB), in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single
inningsAn inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
, batting for a maximum of 20
oversIn the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket. It has been played at club and junior levels for years, usually in evenings when daylight was a problem.
A Twenty20 game is completed in about two and half hours, with each inning lasting around 75 minutes, thus bringing the game closer to the timespan of other popular team sports. It was introduced to create a lively form of the game which would be attractive to spectators at the ground and viewers on television and as such it has been very successful. The ECB did not intend that Twenty20 would replace other forms of cricket and these have continued alongside it.
Since its inception the game has spread around the cricket world. On most international tours there is at least one Twenty20 match and all
TestTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
-playing nations have a domestic cup competition. The inaugural
ICC World Twenty20The ICC World Twenty20 or ICC World T20 also referred to as the T20 World Cup is the international championship of Twenty20 cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council...
was played in South Africa in 2007 with India winning by five runs against Pakistan in the final. Pakistan won the
2009 ICC World Twenty20The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 was an international Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place in England in June 2009. It was the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament, following the inaugural event in South Africa in September 2007...
, defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets. England won the
2010 ICC World Twenty20-------------------------------------------------Group A:---------Group B:---------Group C:---------Group D:---------Super 8s:...
defeating Australia in the final by 7 wickets.
Origins
The idea of a shortened format of the game at a professional level was discussed by the
England and Wales Cricket BoardThe England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
(ECB) in 1998 and 2001.
When the
Benson & Hedges CupThe Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket competition for first-class counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals....
ended in 2002, the
ECBThe England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
needed another one day competition to fill its place. The cricketing authorities were looking to boost the game's popularity with the younger generation in response to dwindling crowds and reduced sponsorship. It was intended to deliver fast paced, exciting cricket accessible to thousands of fans who were put off by the longer versions of the game. Stuart Robertson, the marketing manager of the ECB, proposed a 20 over per innings game to county chairmen in 2001 and they voted 11–7 in favour of adopting the new format. A media group was invited to develop a name for the new game and Twenty20 was the chosen title. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket. A mathematician from
Perth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Dr George Christos, also claims to have proposed a similar format to the ICC and ECB in 1997. However, the ICC has dismissed his involvement in developing the final concept.
Twenty20 cricket was formally introduced in 2003 when the
ECBThe England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
launched the
Twenty20 CupThe Twenty20 Cup was a cricket competition for English and Welsh county clubs.In 2010, it has been replaced by Friends Provident t20 as the domestic Twenty20 competition.-History:...
and was marketed with the slogan “I don’t like cricket, I love it”, taken from the
10cc10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
song "
Dreadlock Holiday-In popular culture:* The song is featured on the first episode, "Killeroo", of the first series of the British cult comedy The Mighty Boosh. Bob Fossil, head of the Zooniverse, dances to the first verse of the song while a confused Howard Moon looks on, before switching it off and explaining "And...
".
Twenty20 Cup
The first official Twenty20 matches were played on 13 June 2003 between the English counties in the
Twenty20 CupThe Twenty20 Cup was a cricket competition for English and Welsh county clubs.In 2010, it has been replaced by Friends Provident t20 as the domestic Twenty20 competition.-History:...
. The first season of Twenty20 in England was a relative success, with the
Surrey LionsSurrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
defeating the
Warwickshire BearsWarwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
by 9 wickets in the final to claim the
Twenty20 CupThe Twenty20 Cup was a cricket competition for English and Welsh county clubs.In 2010, it has been replaced by Friends Provident t20 as the domestic Twenty20 competition.-History:...
.
On 15 July 2004
MiddlesexMiddlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
vs.
SurreySurrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
(the first Twenty20 game to be held at
Lord'sLord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
) attracted a crowd of 26,500, the largest attendance for any
county cricketCounty cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
game other than a one-day final since 1953.
Twenty20 Worldwide
Pakistan Cricket Board initiated The Twenty-20 Cup in 2004 as a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in Pakistan,sponsored by Faysal Bank. Overall 13 teams from different part of the country participated in the competition and Faisalabad Wolves team won the final. On 10 January 2005 Australia's first Twenty20 game was played at the
WACA GroundThe WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
between the
Western WarriorsThe Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
and the
Victorian BushrangersThe Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
. It drew a sellout crowd of 20,700.
Starting 11 July 2006 19 West Indies regional teams competed in what was named the
Stanford 20/20The Stanford 20/20 Tournament was a cricket tournament in the Caribbean island of Antigua. It was held first in July and August 2006 in the West Indies at the Stanford Cricket Ground, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda and the same place the year after...
tournament. The event has been financially backed by billionaire
Allen StanfordRobert Allen Stanford is a former prominent financier and sponsor of professional sports who is in prison awaiting trial on charges his investment company was a massive Ponzi scheme and fraud. Stanford was the chairman of the now defunct Stanford Financial Group of Companies. A fifth-generation...
, who gave at least US$28,000,000 funding money. West Indies legends also backed the programme, and several "looked after" the teams during their stay in and around the purpose built ground in Antigua. It was intended that the tournament would be an annual event. Guyana won the inaugural event, defeating
Trinidad and TobagoThe Trinidad and Tobago cricket team is the representative cricket team of the country of Trinidad and Tobago.The team takes part in inter-regional cricket competitions in the Caribbean, such as the Regional Four Day Competition and the WICB Cup, with the best players selected for the West Indies...
by 5 wickets. The top prize for the winning team was US$1,000,000, but other prizes were given throughout the tournament, such as play of the match (US$10,000) and man of the match (US$25,000).
On 1 November 2008 the Superstars West Indies team (101-0/12.5 overs) beat England (99/all out) by 10 wickets. England slumped to 33–4 and then 65–8 after 15 overs before Samit Patel's 22 took them to 99 in 19.5 overs, still easily their lowest Twenty20 total. Chris Gayle scored an impressive 65 runs not out.
On 5 January 2007
Queensland BullsThe Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...
played the
New South Wales BluesThe New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
at
The GabbaThe Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
,
BrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. A crowd of 11,000 was expected based on pre-match ticket sales. However, an unexpected 16,000 turned up on the day to buy tickets, causing disruption and confusion for surprised Gabba staff as they were forced to throw open gates and grant many fans free entry. Attendance reached 27,653.
For 1 February 2008's Twenty20 match between Australia and India, 84,041 people attended the match at the
Melbourne Cricket GroundThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
involving the Twenty20 World Champions against the ODI World Champions.
Twenty20 attracted many of fans to the game through the
Indian Premier LeagueThe Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
.The first
Indian Premier LeagueThe Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
which was staged in India in
2008The 2008 Indian Premier League season was the debut season of the Indian Premier League, established by the BCCI in 2007. The season commenced on the 18 April 2008 with the final match held on 1 June 2008....
changed the face of the game. The league involved over hundreds of players contracted and over billion dollars investment. It was won by
Rajasthan RoyalsRajasthan Royals is an Indian Premier League franchise based on the city of the Jaipur captained and coached by former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.They were the champions of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League...
with the
Chennai Super KingsChennai Super Kings is a franchise cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that plays in the Indian Premier League. Founded in 2008, the team is currently captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coached by Stephen Fleming, a former New Zealand cricketer. The team's home ground is the M. A...
finishing as runners-up. The second edition was staged in
South AfricaThe 2009 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 2 or the 2009 IPL, was the second season of the Indian Premier League, established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2007. The tournament was hosted by South Africa and was played between 18 April and 24 May 2009...
which was won by
Deccan ChargersHyderabad Deccan Chargers known in short as DC or 'Chargers' is a cricket franchise that represents the city of Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League...
beating the Royal Challengers in the final. The third edition was played in
IndiaThe 2010 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 3 or the 2010 IPL, was the third season of the Indian Premier League, established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2007. The tournament was hosted by India and had an estimated television audience of more than 200 million...
despite the many challenges and controversies occurred. The league was won by the
Chennai Super KingsChennai Super Kings is a franchise cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that plays in the Indian Premier League. Founded in 2008, the team is currently captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coached by Stephen Fleming, a former New Zealand cricketer. The team's home ground is the M. A...
with
Mumbai IndiansMumbai Indians , is a franchise cricket team representing Mumbai in the Indian Premier League. The team is one of the eight founding members of the IPL in 2008. Mumbai Indians are currently led by Sachin Tendulkar, who is the Icon Player for the team and is coached by Robin Singh...
finishing as the runners-up.in the fourth edition chennai super kings defended their title by thrashing the royal challengers from bengaluru in their hometown
Twenty20 Internationals
On 17 February 2005
AustraliaThe Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
defeated
New ZealandThe New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
in the first men's full international Twenty20 match, played at
Eden ParkEden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
in
AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. The game was played in a light-hearted manner – both sides turned out in kit similar to that worn in the 1980s, the New Zealand team's a direct copy of that worn by the
Beige BrigadeThe Beige Brigade is a group of colourful and passionate New Zealand sport fans who identify themselves by wearing beige colours. A version of this uniform was worn by the New Zealand limited overs cricket team during the 1980s .The Beige Brigade began in 1999...
. Some of the players also sported moustaches/beards and hair styles popular in the 1980s taking part in a competition amongst themselves for best retro look, at the request of the Beige Brigade. Australia won the game comprehensively, and as the result became obvious towards the end of the NZ innings, the players and umpires took things less seriously –
Glenn McGrathGlenn Donald McGrath AM , nicknamed "Pigeon", is a former Australian cricket player. He is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in cricketing history, and a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to the early 21st century...
jokingly replayed the
Trevor ChappellTrevor Martin Chappell is a former Australian cricketer, a member of the South Australian Chappell family which excelled at cricket...
underarm incident from a 1981 ODI between the two sides, and
Billy BowdenBrent Fraser "Billy" Bowden is an international cricket umpire from New Zealand. He was a player until he began to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and took up umpiring...
showed him a mock red card (red cards are not normally used in cricket) in response.
The first Twenty20 international in England was played between
EnglandThe England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
and
AustraliaThe Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire on 13 June 2005, which England won by a record margin of 100 runs.
On 9 January 2006
AustraliaThe Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and
South AfricaThe South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
met in the first international Twenty20 game in Australia. In a first, each player's
nickname appeared on the back of his uniform, rather than his surname. The international match drew a crowd of 38,894 people at
The GabbaThe Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
. Australia convincingly won the match with
man of the matchIn sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
Damien MartynDamien Richard Martyn is a former Australian cricketer. He played for the national team sporadically in 1992–1994 before becoming a regular ODI player in 1999–2000 and a regular Test player in 2001 until his retirement in late 2006...
scoring 96 runs.
On 16 February 2006
New ZealandThe New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
defeated
West IndiesThe West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
in a tie-breaking
bowl-outA bowl-out is used in various forms of limited overs cricket to decide a match that would otherwise end in a tie. The procedure is similar to a penalty shootout in association football. Five bowlers from each side deliver one or two balls each at an unguarded wicket...
3–0; 126 runs were scored apiece in the game proper. The game was the last international match played by Chris Cairns – NZC handed out life-size cardboard masks of his face to patrons as they entered the ground.
Criticism
Although the format has proven successful, it has been argued that since Twenty20 encourages far-from-technical cricket, youngsters wanting to pick up the game will be misguided into believing that cricket is all about trying to hit 6s and 4s no matter how you do it.
Impact on the game
Twenty20 cricket is claimed to have resulted in a more athletic and "explosive" form of cricket. Indian
fitnessPhysical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
coach Ramji Srinivasan declared in an
interviewAn interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
with the Indian fitness website Takath.com, that Twenty20 had "raised the bar" in terms of fitness levels for all players, demanding higher levels of strength,
speedIn kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
,
agility* Agility is a physical trait of an animal or person, and a component of physical fitness. It is the ability to change the body's position and direction with speed and precision.Agility may also refer to:In Sport:...
and reaction time from all players irrespective of role in the team. Not everyone accords with this view, however, citing for instance the fact that a retired player like
Shane WarneShane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
has been successful in such tournaments as the
IPLThe Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
.
Ramesh PowarRamesh Rajaram Powar is an Indian cricketer. He is an alumnus of Ruparel College of Science, Commerce and Arts in Matunga, Mumbai. He is a useful lower order batsman and off spinner who plays in the Indian ODI team...
is another good example of an "unfit" player who has flourished in the IPL.
Shane Warne has never been known for physical fitness. However, other successful retired players such as
Adam GilchristAdam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
and
Matthew HaydenMatthew Lawrence Hayden AM is a former Australian cricketer, and was signed to the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL until the 2010 season. Hayden is a powerful and aggressive left-handed opening batsman, known for his ability to score quickly at both Test and one day levels.Hayden holds the record...
have. In fact, Hayden credited retirement from International cricket with aiding his performance in general and fitness in particular in the IPL.
In June 2009, speaking at the annual Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's, former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist pushed for Twenty20 to be made an Olympic sport. "It would," he said, "be difficult to see a better, quicker or cheaper way of spreading the
game throughout the world."
Format
Twenty20 match format is similar to limited overs cricket in that it involves two teams, each with a single
inningsAn inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
, the key difference being each team bats for a maximum of 20
oversIn the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
. In terms of visual format, the batting team members do not arrive from and depart to traditional dressing rooms, but come and go from a "bench" (typically a row of chairs) visible in the playing arena, analogous to association football's "
Technical areaA technical area in association football, is where a manager, other coaching personnel and substitutes are allowed to occupy during a match.The area, where people may stand or sit, includes the dugout, bench and a marked zone adjacent to the pitch....
" or a baseball "
dugoutIn baseball, the dugout is a team's bench area and is located in foul territory between home plate and either first or third base. There are two dugouts, one for the home team and one for the visiting team. In general, the dugout is occupied by all players not prescribed to be on the field at that...
".
General rules
The
Laws of cricketThe laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
apply to Twenty20, with some exceptions:
- Each bowler may bowl a maximum of only one-fifth of the total overs per innings. For a full, uninterrupted match, this is 4 overs.
- Should a bowler deliver a no ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
by overstepping the popping crease, it costs 1 run and his next delivery is designated a "free-hit". In this circumstance the batsman can only be dismissed through a run outRun out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
, hitting the ball twiceHit the ball twice, or "double-hit", is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 34 of the Laws of cricket states:Law 34 1...
, obstructing the fieldObstructing the field is a rare method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 37 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action...
or handling the ballHandled the ball is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 33 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Handled the ball if he wilfully touches the ball while in play with a hand or hands not holding the bat unless he does so with the consent of the opposing...
.
- The following fielding
Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the batsman, in such a way as to either limit the number of runs that the batsman scores or get the batsman out by catching the ball in flight or running the batsman out.Cricket fielding position...
restrictions apply:
- No more than five fielders can be on the leg side
The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket.From the point of view of a right-handed batsman facing the bowler, it is the left hand side of the cricket field...
at any time.
- During the first six overs, a maximum of two fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle (This is sometimes referred to as the powerplay
A Powerplay is a rule introduced in 1991 concerning fielding restrictions in One Day International cricket.The Powerplay was intended to add to the excitement in ODI cricket. In a Powerplay fielding restrictions are applied on the fielding team, only 2 or 3 players are allowed outside the 30 yard...
).
- After the first six overs, a maximum of five fielders can be outside the fielding circle.
- If the fielding team do not start to bowl their 20th over within 75 minutes, the batting side are credited an extra six runs for every whole over bowled after the 75 minute mark; the umpire may add more time to this if he believes the batting team are wasting time.
Tie deciders
Currently, if the match ends with the scores tied and there must be a winner, the tie is broken with a one over per side "Eliminator" or "
Super OverA Super Over, sometimes referred to as an "Eliminator", or an 'Oopse' ,is one of two extra overs in a Twenty20 cricket match when the regular match ends in a tie. Instead of equally dividing the points between the two participating teams, the winning team of the "Super Overs" takes all the points...
":
Each team nominates three batsmen and one bowler to play a one-over per side "mini-match", sometimes referred to as a "One1". In turn, each side bats one over bowled by the one nominated opposition bowler, with their innings over if they lose two wickets before the over is completed. The side with the higher score from their Super Over wins.
Tied Twenty20 matches were previously decided by a "
Bowl-outA bowl-out is used in various forms of limited overs cricket to decide a match that would otherwise end in a tie. The procedure is similar to a penalty shootout in association football. Five bowlers from each side deliver one or two balls each at an unguarded wicket...
".
International
Twenty20 InternationalA Twenty20 International is a form of cricket which is played over 20 overs per side between two national cricket teams. The game is played under the rules of Twenty20 cricket...
s have been played since 2005. To date, 17 nations have played the format, including all test playing nations.
| Nation |
Twenty20 International debut |
| Australia |
17 February 2005 |
| New Zealand |
17 February 2005 |
| England |
13 June 2005 |
| South Africa |
21 October 2005 |
| West Indies |
16 February 2006 |
| Sri Lanka |
15 June 2006 |
| Pakistan |
28 August 2006 |
| Bangladesh |
28 November 2006 |
| Zimbabwe |
28 November 2006 |
| India |
1 December 2006 |
| Kenya |
1 September 2007 |
| Scotland |
12 September 2007 |
| Netherlands |
2 August 2008 |
| Ireland |
2 August 2008 |
| Canada |
2 August 2008 |
| Bermuda |
3 August 2008 |
| Afghanistan |
2 February 2010 |
ICC World Twenty20 tournament
Every two years an
ICC World Twenty20The ICC World Twenty20 or ICC World T20 also referred to as the T20 World Cup is the international championship of Twenty20 cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council...
tournament is to take place, except in the event of a ICC Cricket World Cup being scheduled in the same year, in which case it will be held the year before. The first tournament was in 2007 in South Africa where India defeated Pakistan in the final. The
second tournamentThe 2009 ICC World Twenty20 was an international Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place in England in June 2009. It was the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament, following the inaugural event in South Africa in September 2007...
was won by Pakistan who beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in England on 21 June 2009. The
2010 ICC World Twenty20-------------------------------------------------Group A:---------Group B:---------Group C:---------Group D:---------Super 8s:...
tournament was held in West Indies in May 2010, where England defeated Australia by 7 wickets.
T20 International Rankings
On November 29, 2011, the ICC released the international rankings.
| Country | Matches | Points | Rating |
| England |
11 |
1435 |
130 |
| New Zealand |
9 |
1056 |
117 |
| Sri Lanka |
9 |
1056 |
117 |
| South Africa |
8 |
900 |
113 |
| Pakistan |
14 |
1496 |
107 |
| Australia |
12 |
1223 |
102 |
| India |
7 |
688 |
98 |
| West Indies |
8 |
711 |
89 |
| Afghanistan |
3 |
224 |
75 |
| Zimbabwe |
7 |
376 |
54 |
Domestic
This is a list of the main Twenty20 domestic competitions in each cricketing country.
| Country |
Domestic Competitions |
| Afghanistan Cricket in Afghanistan is a sport growing in popularity, which is represented internationally by the Afghanistan national cricket team. Afghanistan's proximity to the test playing nation of Pakistan has helped the game to take root....
|
Afghanistan Provincial Twenty20 Tournament |
AustraliaCricket is one of the most popular sports in Australia, at international, domestic and local levels. Unlike most other sports played in Australia, cricket generates equal interest in all states of the nation. In 2007, a survey by Sweeney Sports found that 52% of the Australian public have an...
|
Big Bash League The KFC t20 Big Bash League is the Australian domestic Twenty20 cricket tournament. The Big Bash League replaces the previous competition, the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash and will feature city-based franchises instead of the state teams which had participated previously. The inaugural season will begin...
|
| Bangladesh Cricket is a game which has a massive and passionate following in Bangladesh. There is a strong domestic league which on many occasions also saw Test players from many countries gracing the cricket fields of Bangladesh....
|
NCL T20 The National Cricket League Twenty 20 , is a Twenty20 cricket competition initiated by the Bangladesh Cricket Board...
|
| Canada In fact, it was so popular that it was declared the national sport by John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada. There are well over 40,000 cricketers in the country....
|
Scotiabank National T20 Championship Scotiabank National T20 Championship is the first ever Twenty 20 domestic competition in Canada held by Cricket Canada. First season started in 2008 from May 17th to 19th, at Maple Leaf Cricket Club near Toronto, Ontario...
|
EnglandCricket is known to have been played in England since the 16th century. The Marylebone Cricket Club, based at Lords, came up with the modern rules of play and conduct.-History:* History of English cricket to 1696* 1697 to 1725 English cricket seasons...
|
Friends Life t20 |
| India Cricket is the most popular sport in India; it is played by many people in open spaces throughout the country though it is not the nation's official national sport . The India national cricket team won the 1983 Cricket World Cup, the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, and the 2011 Cricket World Cup, and...
|
DLF Indian Premier LeagueThe Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
, Indian Cricket LeagueThe Indian Cricket League was a private cricket league funded by Zee Entertainment Enterprises that operated between 2007 and 2009 in India...
|
| Kenya Cricket is the second most popular sport in Kenya. Kenya has competed in the Cricket World Cup since 1996. They upset some of the World's best teams and reached semi-finals of the 2003 tournament. They also won the inaugural World Cricket League Division 1 hosted in Nairobi and participated in the...
|
East Africa Trophy |
| New Zealand Cricket is a popular sport in New Zealand, which is one of the ten countries that take part in Test match cricket. Cricket is the national and most popular summer sport, second only in total sporting popularity to rugby....
|
HRV Cup |
| Pakistan Cricket has been played in Pakistan since before the birth of the nation in 1947, going as far back as the 19th century. It was introduced by the British during their colonial rule of British India, of which Pakistan was a part. Despite Field hockey being the national sport of Pakistan, cricket is...
|
Pakistan Super League The Pakistan Super League is a proposed Twenty20 cricket competition created by the Pakistan Cricket Board . The first season of the Pakistan Super League is expected to begin in 2011 and will replace Pakistan's current RBS League.- Structure :...
and Faysal Bank Twenty20 Cup |
| Scotland Cricket has a lower profile in Scotland than it has in neighbouring England. Scotland is not one of the ten leading cricketing nations which play Test matches, but the Scottish national team is now allowed to play full One Day Internationals even outside the Cricket World Cup, in which Scotland...
|
Murgitroyd Twenty20 |
| South Africa Cricket is the third most popular sport in South Africa, and is popular among English-speaking as well as Afrikaans-speaking whites. South Africa is a leading cricket-playing nation in the world, and is one of 10 countries sanctioned by the International Cricket Council to play Test Cricket.It...
|
Standard Bank Pro 20 SeriesThe Standard Bank Pro20 Series is the premier Twenty20 cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in the 2003–04 season. The Knights, the Titans and the Cape Cobras have each won the title twice and are the most successful teams....
|
Sri LankaCricket is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka, followed by Football and Rugby Union. Sri Lanka is one of the ten nations that take part in test cricket and one of the five nations that has won a cricket world cup...
|
Sri Lankan Premier League |
| U.S.A. |
American Premier League The American Premier League was a Twenty20 cricket league based in the United States of America. The first league was scheduled to take place between October 6 and October 24th 2009. The APL was owned and promoted by Jay Mir.-Affiliation and match plans:...
and NYPD Cricket LeagueNYPD Cricket League or NYPD Cricket or Cricket NYPD is a private Twenty20 cricket league formed by the New York City Police Department for teenagers from the Caribbean and South Asian communities in New York City. It is a recreational league founded to develop better relations between New York...
|
| West Indies The West Indiescricket is a sporting confederation of over a dozen mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries and dependencies that formed the British West Indies....
|
Caribbean Twenty20 The Caribbean Twenty20 is an annual tournament Twenty20 cricket tournament in the West Indies. The inaugural series was held in 2010. The top performing domestic team qualifies for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament.- History :...
|
| Zimbabwe Cricket is the most popular sport in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is currently a full member of the International Cricket Council .-History:Cricket was introduced to Rhodesia in the 19th century and the Rhodesian Cricket Union was formed in 1898. Rhodesia participated in the Currie Cup, the South African...
|
Metropolitan Bank Twenty20 The Stanbic Bank Twenty20 formerly known as the Metropolitan Bank Twenty20 is the domestic twenty 20 cricket competition in Zimbabwe. It was formed in 2007 and maintained by Zimbabwe Cricket Union. It features all the national and domestic players from Zimbabwe...
|
Champions Twenty20 League
The Champions League Twenty20 often called CLT20 is a twenty20-based cricket
tournamentA tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
featuring teams from India, South Africa, England, Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies. The
tournamentA tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
however does not feature equal number of teams from each country. The Winners and the runners-up of the domestic leagues from Pakistan, India, South Africa, England and Australia and the champions of the other 4 countries are also featured in the
tournamentA tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
.
2008 Season
The first edition was supposed to have featured in India with 8 teams.Though there were rumours that only teams from India, South Africa, Australia and England would be allowed to take part,
Sialkot StallionsThe Sialkot Stallions are a Twenty-20 Cup team, based in Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan. The team was established in 2004 and its home ground is Jinnah Stadium. The team is one of several proposed franchises for the Pakistan Super League...
of Pakistan was also allowed entry. The
tournamentA tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
was however postponed and later cancelled due to the
2008 Mumbai attacksThe 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
.
2009 Season
After the cancellation of the inaugural edition, the tournament witnessed some changes to enhance fan support. The league was to feature 2 teams from India, South Africa, Australia and England and 1 each from West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The format of the game was also changed in contrast to the Twenty20 World Cup. However
Sialkot StallionsThe Sialkot Stallions are a Twenty-20 Cup team, based in Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan. The team was established in 2004 and its home ground is Jinnah Stadium. The team is one of several proposed franchises for the Pakistan Super League...
from Pakistan were denied entry due to the political tensions between India and Pakistan.
Delhi DaredevilsDelhi Daredevils is the Delhi franchise for the Indian Premier League in cricket. The franchise is owned by the GMR Group.-Franchise history:...
the league topper of the
IPLThe Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
were chosen to substitute them. The NSW Blues beat the Trinidad & Tobago to win the trophy.
2010 season
The 2010 Champions League Twenty20 was held in the month of September in South Africa. There were only 10 teams instead of 12 as the top 2 English counties could not participate. The 10 teams were placed in two groups.
Chennai Super KingsChennai Super Kings is a franchise cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that plays in the Indian Premier League. Founded in 2008, the team is currently captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coached by Stephen Fleming, a former New Zealand cricketer. The team's home ground is the M. A...
beat the Chevrolet Warriors of South Africa in the final.
2011 season
The
2011 Champions League Twenty20The Nokia Champions League Twenty20 2011 was the third edition of the Champions League Twenty20, an international Twenty20 cricket tournament. It was held in India from 23 September to 9 October 2011. It was the first season after Nokia replaced Bharti Airtel as the tournament's title sponsor...
was held in the month of September and hosted in India and won by Mumbai Indians.
Records
These statistics are correct as of 30 August 2011 and include all
first-classFirst-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
-equivalent level Twenty20 matches.
Most Twenty20 runs
| Player | Matches | Runs | HS | Career span |
 David HusseyDavid John Hussey is an Australian cricketer. Hussey is a right-handed batsman and can also bowl right-arm offbreaks. He is the younger brother of Australian Test cricketer Michael Hussey.-Australian domestic career:...
|
157 |
3,905 |
100* |
2004–2011 |
| Brad Hodge Bradley John Hodge is an Australian and Victorian cricketer. He attended St Bede's College in Mentone, Victoria. He is a right hand batsman who bats in the middle order, as well as a part time right arm off spin bowler....
|
127 |
3,690 |
106 |
2003–2011 |
David WarnerDavid Andrew Warner is an Australian cricketer. A quick-scoring left-handed opening batsman, Warner is the first Australian cricketer in 132 years to be selected for a national team in any format without experience in first-class cricket...
|
112 |
3,233 |
135* |
2007–2011 |
 Brendon McCullumBrendon Barrie McCullum is a New Zealand international cricketer, who plays for the Otago Volts at provincial level. He is a wicket-keeper, as well as an aggressive batsman who opens in One-day Internationals and is known for his fast scoring rate...
|
112 |
3,073 |
158* |
2005–2011 |
 Owais ShahOwais Alam Shah is an English cricketer. A middle-order batsman, he played for Middlesex between 1996-2010, before joining Essex CCC in the winter of 2010. He has represented England in all forms of the games.Between 2001 and 2009, he played 71 ODIs and 17 Twenty20 Internationals...
|
119 |
2,953 |
80 |
2003–2011 |
(*) =
not outIn cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
Most Twenty20 wickets
| Player | Matches | Wickets | BBI | Career span |
 Dirk NannesDirk Peter Nannes is a Dutch Australian cricketer. A left-arm fast bowler, he plays for the Australian cricket team, the Victorian Bushrangers, the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, and Fitzroy-Doncaster in Victorian club cricket. He has also represented the Netherlands...
|
122 |
154 |
5/40 |
2007–2011 |
 Alfonso ThomasAlfonso Clive Thomas is a South African cricketer who has represented his country in one Twenty20 International. He is a right arm fast-medium bowler and a big hitting lower-order batsman...
|
113 |
136 |
4/27 |
2004–2011 |
Albie MorkelJohannes Albertus Morkel , better known as Albie Morkel, is a South African cricketer. He is an all-rounder who bowls right-arm- medium fast and bats left-handed. He is famous for his six hitting abilities in Twenty20 cricket...
|
157 |
131 |
4/30 |
2004–2011 |
 Yasir ArafatYasir Arafat Satti is a Pakistani cricketer. He bats right-handed and bowls right-arm fast medium.-International career:...
|
103 |
122 |
4/17 |
2006–2011 |
| Shahid Afridi Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi , popularly known as Shahid Afridi , is a Pakistani cricketer. Between 1996 and 2011, Afridi played 27 Tests, 325 One Day Internationals, and 43 Twenty20 Internationals for the Pakistani national team...
|
94 |
120 |
5/20 |
2004–2011 |
Other records
- Highest individual score – Brendon McCullum
Brendon Barrie McCullum is a New Zealand international cricketer, who plays for the Otago Volts at provincial level. He is a wicket-keeper, as well as an aggressive batsman who opens in One-day Internationals and is known for his fast scoring rate...
158*(74) Kolkata Knight RidersKolkata Knight Riders is the franchise representing Kolkata in the Indian Premier League, a Twenty20 cricket tournament. Sourav Ganguly led the team in IPL1 and IPL3, Brendon McCullum in IPL2, and Gautam Gambhir in IPL4...
vs Royal Challengers BangaloreRoyal Challengers Bangalore is a cricket team based in Bangalore that plays in the Indian Premier League and currently lead by Daniel Vettori. The team is owned by Dr...
(2008 Indian Premier LeagueThe 2008 Indian Premier League season was the debut season of the Indian Premier League, established by the BCCI in 2007. The season commenced on the 18 April 2008 with the final match held on 1 June 2008....
)
- Highest team total – by 260/6 (20 overs) vs 88/10 (19.3 overs) (2007 ICC World Twenty20)
- Most sixes in an innings – Graham Napier
Graham Richard Napier is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium fast bowler....
(Essex) 16 (2008 Twenty20 CupNote: The teams are re-drawn for the semi-finals. This is reflected in these standings. The original quarter-final order was: Durham v Glamorgan, Essex v Northamptonshire, Middlesex v Lancashire and Warwickshire v Kent.- Durham Dynamos v Yorkshire Carnegie :...
)
- Most sixes in career – David Hussey
David John Hussey is an Australian cricketer. Hussey is a right-handed batsman and can also bowl right-arm offbreaks. He is the younger brother of Australian Test cricketer Michael Hussey.-Australian domestic career:...
167
- Fastest hundred –
Yusuf PathanYusuf Pathan is an Indian cricketer. Pathan made his debut in first-class cricket in 2001/02. He is a powerful and aggressive batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler. His brother Irfan Pathan is also an Indian cricketer...
(Rajasthan RoyalsRajasthan Royals is an Indian Premier League franchise based on the city of the Jaipur captained and coached by former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.They were the champions of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League...
) 37 balls (2010 Indian Premier League)
- Fastest fifty – Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
12 balls (20Twenty Cup 2007)
- Most hundreds – Brendon McCullum
Brendon Barrie McCullum is a New Zealand international cricketer, who plays for the Otago Volts at provincial level. He is a wicket-keeper, as well as an aggressive batsman who opens in One-day Internationals and is known for his fast scoring rate...
, 
Chris GayleChristopher Henry "Chris" Gayle is a Jamaican cricketer who currently plays international cricket for the West Indies. He captained the West Indies' side from 2007 to 2010. He plays domestic cricket for Jamaica, and has also represented Worcestershire, the Western Warriors and the Kolkata Knight...
, Ian HarveyIan Joseph Harvey is an Australian cricketer. He is an all-rounder. He was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2004.-Australian career:...
, Adam GilchristAdam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
, David WarnerDavid Andrew Warner is an Australian cricketer. A quick-scoring left-handed opening batsman, Warner is the first Australian cricketer in 132 years to be selected for a national team in any format without experience in first-class cricket...
3
- Best innings bowling figures (International) –
Ajantha MendisBalapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis is a cricketer who plays for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.Mendis, although classified as slow-medium, bowls a mixture of deliveries, including googlies, off-breaks, top-spinners, flippers and leg-breaks, as well as the carrom ball, released with a flick...
(Sri Lanka) 6/16 (vs Australia, Aug 2011)
- Best innings bowling figures (Domestic) –
Arul SuppiahArul Vivasvan Suppiah is an English/Malaysian cricketer. A right-handed batsman and left-arm orthodox spin bowler, he has played for the Malaysia national cricket team since 1999, and currently plays county cricket in England for Somerset....
(SomersetSomerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
) 6/5 in 22 balls (2011 Friends Life t20The 2011 Friends Life t20 was the second season of the Friends Life t20, England's premier domestic Twenty20 competition. The season ran from June 1 to August 27 2011. The teams in the tournament remained the same as the previous season....
)
- Most runs in one over – Chris Gayle
Christopher Henry "Chris" Gayle is a Jamaican cricketer who currently plays international cricket for the West Indies. He captained the West Indies' side from 2007 to 2010. He plays domestic cricket for Jamaica, and has also represented Worcestershire, the Western Warriors and the Kolkata Knight...
37, 6 balls 4 sixes 3 fours + 1 no ball (2011 Indian Premier LeagueThe 2011 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 4 or the IPL 2011, was the fourth season of the Indian Premier League, a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition conceived by Lalit Modi in 2007. The tournament was hosted in India and the opening and closing ceremonies were...
) against Kochi Tuskers Kerala's Prasanth ParameswaranThe Indian name Parameswaran is a patronymic, not a family name; thus, the person should be referred to by his given name, "Prasanth".Prasanth Parameswaran is a Kerala cricketer. He is a left-arm medium pace bowler and a right-handed tail-ender batsman...
- Longest six – Adam Gilchrist
Adam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
124 Metres (2011 Indian Premier League) against RCB
External links