Twenty-20 Cricket Rules

How Twenty20 cricket is different from the regular 50-overs-a-side internationals:

As the name suggests, each side gets to bat for 20 overs instead of the normal 50 overs.

It’s fast and furious.icon_lol The match lasts only three hours, including a 20-minute break between innings. One-day internationals take almost seven hours to complete with a 40-minute break.

A minimum of five overs a side are needed to constitute a match, as compared to 15 overs for one-day internationals.

To avoid time wasting, the incoming batsman gets only a minute and 30 seconds to be ready to receive the next ball. No wonder that teams are seated in dugouts near the boundary line instead of in the pavilion when a match is in progress.

Fielding restrictions apply for the first six overs when only two fielders can be placed outside the 30-yard circle. For the remaining 14 overs, not more than five fielders will be outside the circle.

Bowlers can send down a maximum of four overs each, instead of the 10 in regular internationals.

Free-hit: When the bowler sends down a no-ball, the next delivery will be a free hit for the facing batsman. The batsman cannot be dismissed off the free hit, except being run out. No change in field placement is allowed for the free-hit.

The umpire will signal a free hit after his no-ball signal by raising one arm and moving it in a circular motion.

Bowl out, cricket’s of the penalty shoot-out, will be applied if the semi-finals or final are tied.

Each team will nominate five bowlers who will take turns to hit the wickets at the other end. There will be no batsman facing. The team which achieves the maximum strikes will be the winner.2 via DM Sports

The Laws of cricket apply to Twenty20 with some exceptions:

  • Should a bowler deliver a no ballby overstepping the popping crease,it costs 2 runs and his next delivery is designated a free-hit, from which the batsman can only be dismissed through a run out, for hitting the ball twice, obstructing the field or handling the ball, as is the case for the original “no ball”.
  • Bowlers may bowl a maximum of only 4 overs per innings.
  • Umpires may award 5-run penalty runs at their discretion if they believe either team is wasting time.
  • If the fielding team do not start to bowl their 20th over within 75 minutes, the batting side is credited an extra 6 runs for every whole over bowled after the 75 minute mark; the umpire may add more time to this, if he considers the batting team is wasting time.
  • The following fielding restrictions apply:
    • No more than 5 fielders can be on the leg side at any time.
    • During the first 6 overs, a maximum of 2 fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle.
    • After the first 6 overs, a maximum of 5 fielders can be outside the fielding circle.

  • If the match ends with the scores tied and there must be a winner, the tie is broken with a bowl-out (similar to a penalty shoot-out in football), with 5 bowlers from each side delivering 2 balls each at an unguarded wicket. If the number of wickets is equal after the first 10 balls per side, the bowling continues and is decided by sudden death.via Wikipedia