The tenth version of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will happen in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, 2026.
Twenty groups shall be competing in 55 matches for the possibility to win cricket’s most prestigious T20 trophy.
However cricket is a recreation with an inventory of generally used phrases and phrases which may confuse these new to it.
On this illustrated information, Al Jazeera breaks down cricket lingo and helps you perceive the sport beloved by practically two billion folks.
What’s the goal of the sport?
Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport performed between two groups consisting of 11 gamers every.
The sport is split into two elements, often known as innings.
Within the first innings, following a coin toss, the primary workforce bats whereas the opposite workforce bowls and fields.
The batting workforce ought to attempt to rating the best variety of runs within the allotted time, whereas the bowling workforce has to attempt to stop them from scoring.
The bowling workforce has devoted bowlers, whereas the remaining gamers, unfold throughout the bottom, attempt to stop the batters from scoring runs in addition to catch the ball to get the batters out.
Within the second innings, the bowling workforce now will get a flip to bat and attempt to rating extra runs than their opposition.
The workforce with the best variety of runs on the finish of the day wins the sport.
What does T20 imply?
There are three completely different codecs in cricket, every with its personal length and guidelines.
Every format has its personal outlined set of “overs”.
An “over” consists of six deliveries by the bowler.
In a T20 match, which normally lasts three to 4 hours, every workforce is given 20 overs (120 balls) to attain essentially the most variety of runs. This format of the sport is designed to be shorter and faster-paced, which offers extra pleasure for spectators.
A One Day Worldwide (ODI) match sometimes lasts about seven to eight hours. Every workforce is given a complete of 300 deliveries, that are divided into 50 overs, to attain essentially the most variety of runs.
A Take a look at match is the longest and oldest format of the sport, performed over a most of 5 days. It’s thought of a check of endurance and talent. Every day has a minimal of 90 overs. Each groups have two innings every.
The cricket discipline and pitch
Cricket is performed in a big, oval-shaped discipline, sometimes about 150 metres (164 yards) in diameter at its widest level and surrounded by a boundary rope.
Within the centre of the sphere is the pitch, an oblong space about 20 metres lengthy (22 yards) and three metres (3.3 yards) broad, the place many of the motion takes place.
At every finish of the pitch are three picket sticks often known as wickets or stumps, with two bails atop them.
The batter stands in entrance of those wickets inside a specified space often known as the batting crease. It’s from there that she or he will strike the incoming ball from the bowler.
In the course of the match, the batting workforce will even have two gamers on the sphere, one on both finish of the pitch, to take turns in hitting the ball.
The bowling workforce, in the meantime, could have all 11 gamers scattered all through the sphere to minimise the variety of runs their opponents can rating.
A number of the most typical positions are proven beneath:
How are runs scored?
The goal for the batters is to attain as many runs as doable by hitting the ball within the gaps between the fielders or over the boundary rope.
To attain a run, the batter must hit the ball after which, along with their batting accomplice, run to the other facet of the pitch earlier than the fielder returns the ball; in any other case, they are often run out.
A single run is scored when each batters safely full one run, a two-run once they full two runs, and so forth.
If a batter hits the ball alongside the bottom and it reaches the boundary rope, then 4 runs are awarded.
To sign that 4 runs have been scored, the umpire strikes his proper hand from one facet to the opposite, repeatedly waving it forwards and backwards horizontally.
The utmost, six runs, is scored when the batter hits the ball immediately over the boundary earlier than it bounces. This shot is essentially the most rewarding but in addition among the many riskiest, as a result of probabilities of getting bowled or caught.
To sign a six, the umpire will increase each fingers above his head, which the followers will usually imitate.
How does a participant get ‘out’?
There are a number of methods to get a batter out, with every out known as “dropping a wicket”.
Since cricket is performed with pairs of batsmen, when 10 gamers from the batting workforce are dismissed, their innings concludes, and the sum of the runs they scored units the goal rating for the bowling workforce.
The commonest methods of getting a participant out embrace:
Bowled: This occurs if the batter misses the ball, and it goes on to hit the wicket.
Caught: A batter is caught out once they hit the ball and a fielder catches it earlier than it touches the bottom.
Run-Out: A run-out occurs when the fielding workforce throws the ball on the wicket whereas the batter is making an attempt to attain a run and earlier than they’ll attain the other facet of the pitch.
LBW (Leg Earlier than Wicket): This determination will depend on numerous elements, however in a nutshell, a batter may be given out LBW if the ball hits their legs whereas they’re standing in entrance of the wicket, thus stopping the wicket from being hit.
To sign an “out”, the umpire who’s standing in the midst of the sphere will increase his index finger to suggest {that a} batter has been dismissed.
This gesture is sometimes called the umpire having “raised the finger” or “given the finger”.
How do you learn the rating?
To observe the rating in cricket, you could have a look at three numbers.
The primary is the variety of runs a workforce has scored – the upper the quantity, the higher.
The second signifies the variety of “outs” or “wickets”. As soon as 10 gamers are out, their batting innings come to an finish.
The third is the variety of overs which have been bowled.
Mixed, a rating could seem like this: 109-5 (10 overs)
Which means 109 runs have been scored, 5 gamers are out, and 10 overs have been accomplished.
Usually, groups make anyplace from 100 to 250 runs throughout a T20 match. A rating of 100 is taken into account low to defend, whereas 250 runs is normally very sturdy.
The best rating in worldwide T20 cricket was between Zimbabwe and The Gambia in 2024.
Zimbabwe batted first and scored an enormous 344-4 of their 20 overs. In response, The Gambia solely managed 54 runs earlier than dropping all 10 of their wickets.
Zimbabwe received by 290 runs.
