Formats of Cricket Game – Twenty20 (T20)
This is the last format of cricket game we are going to discuss. It is the fastest paced game and most volatile cricket style. Here is why:
Twenty20
An excitement and fun bundled in the compact form of the game, stipulates a limit of 20 overs to be performed each inning by all sides. Initially from England in 2003, T20 has rapidly became the most common game style and has drawn international viewers when it finishes in just over 3 hours. What is going to happen when you merge cricket and party? You have T20 games with music and cheerleaders, thrilling the audience in deliveries and overs, building a festive atmosphere. Unlike other styles, the batting squad is not alone in the locker space. Instead, there is a dugout area where they are arriving and going, contributing to the noise and anticipation all around.
The rules for this format are somewhat simplified from the 50 over ODI style. Bowlers will bowl a maximum of 4 overs. No-ball will result in a penalty where there will be a free hit on the next delivery. No more than 5 fielders will occupy the leg side of the field at any point. Powerplays in the T20s are distinct from ODI Powerplays as well. For the first 6 overs, no more than 2 fielders are permitted beyond the 30-yard circle. Then, only a limit of 5 fielders outside the 30-yard radius are permitted. Chris Gayle of the West Indies holds the mark for the fastest century in the T20, hitting 100 runs in just 30 deliveries. Compare this to Test matches, where batsmen appear to score about 150-200 balls on average, and one starts to realize why people have taken T20 so quickly. More countries have adopted this latest style for instance like the USA, Canada, the Netherlands and Malaysia, which is a remarkable feat in itself.
T20 matches are often played with white leather balls and under floodlights. Teams sport colored jerseys including ODI matches. This quick format has lifted the sport bar and sparked new developments and ability sets for both bowlers and batsmen, who make for spectacular watching. Traditional, sluggish playing types are tossed out of the window and replaced with high-intensity forms: hard-hitting, strong catching, skillful wily bowling, and agile ninja-like fielding. The T20s are played just like the ODIs: Team A battles first and scores X runs within the 20 overs stipulated or until they get bowled out. Team B has to pursue the goal by beating the second in 20 overs. If Team B fails to do so as they get out or run out of bats, they lose the match. There is always a winner and there is no chance for the game to end tied. Super over which is a tie breaking method will be applied as one over per side eliminator.
Twenty20 events are not only held at the world stage. Domestic T20 tournaments are just as common and are being played in all major cricketing nations. The Indian Premier League (IPL), the most famous professional cricket league in the world, is labeled a blockbuster among all domestic leagues. Indian franchise teams participate every year in April and May, and players from a variety of various nationalities partake in their trade in this competition. Created in 2007 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BBCI), the IPL has a massive market equity and ranks 6th among all sports leagues worldwide. The culmination of this kind of cricket at the international level is the ICC World Twenty20 Championship, which has been organized 6 times since the inaugural edition in 2007. Similarly, the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 has been held a total of five times since 2009.
