T20 cricket was the beginning of it all. Then ODIs followed and eventually T20 cricket won the hearts of all.
If T20 cricket is not the shortest already, there are T10 and The Hundred formats which are even faster than this. And besides all these, we have one more format which is going to make its entry in the cricket world – T20 Twenty.
T20 Twenty? It’s a blend of T20 and T20I cricket.
So what’s the T20 Twenty format going to be like?
Step by step, let’s reveal the T20 Twenty format and its rules.
T20 Twenty Format: Rules
Being a mixture of T20 and T20I cricket, we expect to see the characteristics of both the formats.
20 Overs Per Innings
Similar to T20 matches, the new format will also have a total of four innings in each match. But the duration will be just a day (as against five days for T20).
Read Also:- What Is T10 Cricket?
And the total number of overs in a match is limited to 80. This means that in a day of T20 play, there will be 10 more overs than what’s allocated for the new format.
Thus, by rounding the number of overs, each innings will cover the half of the match. This implies that the teams will be given 40 overs each for batting and bowling.
Powerplay
T20 Twenty offers each team one powerplay during the match. The area impacted is the same as that of a T20I innings – four overs.
But, when will the powerplay be held? At the starting of the first innings, like T20Is?
Actually, it is the captain of the batting side who will decide when to activate the powerplay. He can opt for it on the first or the second innings.
However, if he does not take the powerplay before the second innings seventh over, then it automatically comes into play between seventh to tenth overs.
Are there going to be fielding restrictions? Yes, certainly! Once the powerplay is started, maximum of two fielders will be allowed to stay outside the 30-yard circle.
Bowling Allocation
Unlike T20 or T20s, teams are bounded by a fixed number of bowlers with whom they must bowl. There will be a maximum of five bowlers allotted to each team for the entire match.
Thus, each bowler will bowl four overs per innings?
Not really. A bowler is allowed to bowl a maximum of eight overs across the whole game but might not even bowl four in the first and second innings.
The team captain has the option to divide the bowlers’ overs according to his/her strategy. For instance, if a bowler executes three overs in the first session, he/she can bowl five in the ensuing innings.
Over Rate
Over rates are very important in international cricket like’ they are in T20 Twenty’. The match referee will set a time limit for teams to bowl 20 overs per innings; if teams do not adhere to the over rate, they will be penalized five runs.
Besides, the bowling side will have to give up one strategic timeout.
Extras
Wides (except for leg side and short-pitched deliveries) and free hits, while not common in T20, are going to be the case in T20 Twenty, like T20s.
A wide delivery way outside off or leg will add a run and one more ball to the batting team’s innings.
And what’s the free hit for? If a bowler oversteps, we will have a full toss above the waist or a short-pitch delivery above the head; it will be a no ball. And the no ball will be a free hit for the batting side.
The bowlers will face more pressure if they bowl three or more wides or no balls in a single over. This will give the batting side three extra penalty runs.
Early Collapse Clause
This is an intriguing law. If one team knocks out the other in less than ten overs in the first inning, it will get three extra overs for batting.
Thus, if Team A dismisses Team B before the end of the 10th over, they will be allowed to bat for 23 overs in their first batting innings instead of 20. This clause is only valid for the first innings of the match.
Follow-On
In fact, the follow-on rule is one of the things that teams can enforce, which is a privilege of T20 only. In other words, giving up a lead of 200 runs or more can lead to a follow-on? No, there is a slight change in the rule for T20 Twenty cricket.
The T20 required a lead of more than 200 runs but the new format allows the follow-on for a lead of 75 runs or more. Thus, if the team that is batting second is behind by 75 or more runs, the other team can impose a follow-on on them.
Match Results
Wins and losses are certain, as in a usual cricket match. Moreover, there is a chance of a draw.
A draw can occur only in one situation. If a team does not lose more than four wickets in the fourth innings and thus lasts all 20 overs, the match will be declared a draw.
If the team is five wickets down or more, then they can either win or lose the match according to the total runs scored in both innings.
And a tie is possible? Just like in the case of a T20 match. But even in the case of a tie, a victor can be declared. The match will be referred to as a Super Session.
Super Session? What is that? It is the Super Over of T20 Twenty where teams will bat for one more over.
What if the Super Session is tied? In this case, the total count of boundaries will be taken into account. The team with the highest number of boundaries in the match will be declared the winner of the encounter (just like England won the 2019 Cricket World Cup!).
So that is how the entire T20 Twenty format works. We will see a perfect mixture of T20 and T20Is, and tactics and quick action will be in play.
