Experience fast multiplier rounds, instant cashouts, and official certified fair play.
Cricket is a very popular sport not only in the world but also in some specific countries like India, England, Australia, etc. But for those who have just started playing this game, it may seem really confusing at first because of all the rules, scoring system, positions of the players, and match formats.
This article about cricket rules for beginners is aimed to give the detailed description of basic rules of this exciting game in easy-to-understand language.
Cricket is a team game that involves two teams each consisting of 11 players. The main task of the teams is to score more runs than the opposing team.
The game is held on the cricket field which consists of a pitch that is rectangular. There are three sets of stumps with two small bails on each end of the pitch. They are called wickets.
One of the teams tries to score as much runs as possible during the match, while the other tries to bowl and restrict the runs and dismiss the batters.
1. The Number of Players in a Cricket Team
Every cricket team consists of 11 players. These players play various roles while playing a game.
Batters : Score the runs by striking the ball and running between the wickets or by hitting boundaries.
Bowlers : Deliver the ball to dismiss the batters and prevent them from scoring many runs.
All-rounders : Play an important role with the bat and bowl.
Wicketkeeper : Plays the role of catching or stumping the batters.
Fielders : Attempt to stop the ball and dismiss the batters through catches and run outs.
A player plays multiple roles in a cricket game. An all-rounder plays his role with the bat and ball.
2. Explanation of an Over in a Cricket Game
Over means six legal deliveries bowled by a bowler from one end of the cricket ground. After an over is completed, a new bowler bowls from the other end.
Generally, deliveries like wides and no-balls do not count in the six legal deliveries of an over.
For instance, if a bowler bowls six legal deliveries, then the over will be completed. If any of the balls is a wide, an extra ball will be delivered.
3. How Are Runs Scored in Cricket?
Runs are the points scored by each team while they are playing their turn at batting. Run scoring in cricket takes place through the following processes:
Running Between the Wickets
As soon as the batsman strikes the ball, he can run with his partner between the wickets to score a run which adds one point to their score.
Four Boundary Runs
In case the ball lands on the boundary after touching the ground within the field, the batting team gets four runs if the boundary criteria are fulfilled.
Six Boundary Runs
If the batsman strikes the ball and it goes beyond the boundary line without touching the ground inside the field, then the team is given six runs.
Extra Runs
The extra runs occur in case of some bowling or fielding mistake. The extra runs include:
Wide : If the delivery is too far from the batter such that he cannot hit it.
No-ball : If it is an illegal delivery according to the rules of the game.
Bye : The runs scored by the batters in case the ball goes past the batsman without touching his bat or body.
Leg Bye : In case the ball
4. How Can a Batter Be Dismissed?
There are various ways in which the batter can be dismissed. These are important things that one needs to understand about how to play cricket.
Bowled
If the batter is out bowled, then it means that a legal delivery hits the stumps and the bails come off at least one stump.
Caught
If the batter is out caught, then it means that there was a clean catch of the ball by the fielder from the ball that hit the bat or hand holding the bat before the ball hit the ground.
LBW (Leg Before Wicket)
Batter can be out LBW if the ball hit the batter instead of hitting the bat and if all other required conditions regarding the ball's direction, bounce, and stumps are fulfilled.
Run Out
If the batter is run out, then it means that the batting side's wicket is broken by the fielding team through the ball while the batter is outside his/her ground and hence is not covered under the rules.
Stumped
Batter is stumped if the wicketkeeper knocks down the wicket when batter is outside the ground and is not running.
5. What is the Difference Between Innings and Overs?
An innings refers to the phase within which a team bats. In some cases, depending on the format of the match, a team may play either one or two innings.
An over refers to a set of six legal deliveries that a bowler throws.
For instance, in a normal T20 match, a team will have one innings but up to 20 overs at most based on the match format and interruptions if any.
In Test cricket, the team will generally have two innings each without a specified 20 or 50-over limitation.
6. How to Understand Various Cricket Match Formats
Cricket has a number of formats where various rules regarding time, overs, and innings apply.
Test Cricket
This is the conventional version of cricket that takes place in up to five days with each team having two innings. This format is mainly about stamina, strategy, batting skills, and consistency of bowling.
One Day International (ODI)
Here, it is the limited overs format where each team gets 50 overs to bat and the side that scores more runs wins.
Twenty20 (T20) Cricket
This is a shortened format where each team usually bats for 20 overs or less. Batters in this format aim at scoring as many runs as possible while bowlers concentrate on taking out wickets and preventing runs.
It is important to consider these formats in the discussion since different numbers of overs and innings make understanding cricket rules for beginners more comprehensible.
7. What Is the Powerplay in Cricket?
This refers to a section of play in some limited-overs games where some fielding restrictions apply. The restrictions include having a maximum number of fielders who can be in positions outside the inner circle.
In the men's ODI game, the powerplay is separated by phases through the 50 overs. In T20 cricket, the powerplay occurs in the first six overs of an innings in the full format where there are fielding restrictions.
Fielding restrictions vary depending on the format and conditions under which the game is played.
Why powerplays are important in cricket is that batters want to score fast while fielding teams want to take wickets.
8. What Are No Ball and Wide?
A no ball and a wide are two separate forms of illegitimate balls that can occur according to cricket laws.
No-ball : There can be multiple reasons for a no-ball to occur, including various forms of front-foot overstepping and an illegal delivery or bowling action. The batting team will generally get a bonus run, depending on the format and playing conditions.
Wide : It occurs when a ball is delivered out of reach of the batter, making it too difficult to hit, keeping in mind the movement of the batter. The batting team gets an extra run, but this ball will not count toward the six legitimate deliveries in an over.
Both can help the batting side score some extra runs and also involve an additional ball delivery.
9. How Does a Cricket Team Win?
The winning of the game will be done through scoring more runs than the other team but there are different factors that contribute to a team winning the match.
In limited overs match, the chasing team should aim at reaching the first team’s total. If this is achieved, then the team will be the winner in terms of the match conditions.
In case the chasing team fails to achieve the goal in the set number of overs and in the process loses all its wickets, then the other team wins.
In test cricket, a team should meet the criteria for being a winner. In some cases, the match can end with a draw in case there is no sufficient time to play and a tie when both teams have the same score in accordance to the conditions.
Weather interruptions and other circumstances may affect the determination of the outcome of the match.
10. What Is the Role of the Umpire?
The umpire plays an important role of enforcing the laws of the game and deciding in various situations arising within the match.
In professional cricket, the third umpire can review specific decisions using available technology. Also, the teams might have an available review system in some formats, based on the playing conditions.
The role of the umpires includes maintaining a fair and legitimate game.
11. Common Terms in Cricket for Beginners
Following are some commonly used cricket terms you should remember:
Pitch: It refers to the central rectangular area where the bowler sends the ball towards the batter.
Wicket: The three sticks with the two bails at both ends; sometimes also means dismissal of a batter.
Run Rate: Refers to the number of runs scored per over.
Target: The score required by the batting team in order to win the match.
Duck: Dismissal of a batter without scoring any runs.
Maiden Over: Over in which no runs are awarded against the bowler's name, based on the scoring criteria.
Dot Ball: Delivery which does not fetch any runs off the ball.
Strike Rate: Statistic showing how fast a batter scores; normally runs per 100 balls faced.
Required Run Rate: Run rate required by the chasing team to score the target within the overs.
12. How to Learn Cricket Rules Fast
If you are a beginner at cricket, you don't have to learn all the rules at once; rather, start with the fundamentals and expand your knowledge through practice and watching the game.
Learn the difference between batting, bowling, and fielding.
Get familiar with the process of scoring overs and runs.
Understand the ways of getting out in batting.
Learn the distinctions between T20, ODI, and Test cricket.
Monitor the scores for the total number, the number of wickets, and overs.
Watch the signals made by the umpire regarding the boundaries, wides, no-balls, and dismissals.
This will be enough for you to have an understanding of the match.
What are the basic rules of cricket?
The basic rules of cricket include two teams of 11 players, scoring runs on batting, making wickets during bowling and fielding, and abiding by the limitations of the innings and overs of the match format.
How many balls are there in an over?
In a normal over, there are six legal balls. Wides and no-balls usually do not count towards the six balls.
How many players are there in a cricket team?
There are usually 11 players in a standard cricket team.
What is the difference between T20 and ODI cricket?
In general, T20 cricket allows a maximum of 20 overs per team, whereas ODI cricket allows a maximum of 50 overs per team. Both are forms of limited-overs cricket.
How can a beginner understand a cricket scoreboard?
A beginner can start by checking the runs scored, the number of wickets down, and the overs played. In addition, when a team is batting, he should check the runs required and the overs left.
Is cricket hard to learn?
At the beginning, cricket may appear to be confusing; however, beginners will be able to grasp the key rules of the game by understanding the rules of runs scoring, wickets, and match formats.
It becomes easy to understand the game once the key rules, scoring, overs, dismissals, and match formats are known. From learning how a batsman makes runs to understanding the reasoning behind a no-ball call from the umpire, all aspects make sense.
For accurate details of the rules, see The Laws of Cricket by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
Content Creator & Gaming Analyst
I Sports Game Guide content team combines years of expertise in online gaming, sports analysis, and platform mechanics to bring you accurate guides, game reviews, and responsible gaming information.
