A Twenty20 match is arguably the most popular type of cricket match for fans across the globe.
It was a format which was created in England on June 13, 2003 and saw the English counties compete in the Twenty20 Cup.
Since then the format has experienced a massive growth on both the domestic and international stage with the creation of tournaments like the T20 World Cup and Indian Premier League (IPL).
DAZN explains the rules for this format below.
How long is a Twenty20 match?
A Twenty20 match sees two teams bowl 20 overs each.
Which countries play Twenty20 matches?
There are 85 teams which have played or still play Twenty20 matches.
The full list can be found on the ICC website here.
What are the rules of a Twenty20 match?
The game begins at the the toss where the captain who wins the toss will choose whether their team bats or bowls.
The team that bats first is tasked with posting a total within the allotted 20 overs.
The fielding team then has to beat the score within the 20 overs while not losing all 10 of their wickets.
There also a number of rules for the bowlers which are specific to this format:
- Each bowler can bowl up to four overs during an innings.
- If a bowler delivers a no ball, one run is awarded to the batting team and the next ball is a 'free-hit'. The batsman can only be dismissed in this instance by being run out, hitting the ball twice or obstructing the field.
Just like one-day cricket, T20 also has a number of fielding restrictions:
- No more than five fielders can be on the leg side at any time.
- During the first six overs, a maximum of two fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle, this is known as the powerplay.
- After the first six overs have been bowled, a maximum of five fielders can be outside the fielding circle.
The fielding team is also in a race against time during a T20 match.
If the fielding team does not start to bowl their 20th over within 75 minutes, the batting team is awarded an extra six runs for every over bowled after the 75th minute mark.
The umpire can also add more time if they believe the batting team is wasting time.
How to win a T20 match?
A winner is determined in the second innings.
If the team batting second beats the first innings score before losing all 10 of their wickets, then they are declared the winner.
In order for the team bowling second to win the match, they will need to get 10 opposition batsmen out or ensure that the batting team does not reach the required score come the end of the 20th over.
Can a T20 match be tied?
If the match ends with the scores tied, a Super Over will then take place.
This sees each team nominate three batsmen and one bowler to play a one-over-per-side game.
The team which batted second will bat first in a Super Over and their innings will be over if the bowler gets two wickets before the over is completed.
The team with the higher score from the Super Over is declared the winner, but if a Super Over ends in a tie, the process is repeated until the tie is broken.