Wasn't I satisfied with the existing two formats of cricket, i.e test match cricket and one day Internationals....??
I guess my is yes. I didn't really feel the need of another form of cricket match. I was quite happy watching my team play ODI series, tournaments and then few test series in an year but then, I was born in 1982 which means that One day cricket came lot before I was born. It was natural for me to get adjusted with this format of cricket. I am sure whoever heard first about them, must have hated it but as the time passed on, cricket fans got adjusted and found interest in them as well... and surely they were more fast and exiting than test matches..!!
Now here comes even faster and more exiting cricket format - Twenty20. BCCI, on 16th July 2006, formally announced that twenty20 cricket will now be played in Domestic circuit - in League formats, in which state teams will play twenty20 matches atTwenty20IsFast.jpg home and away basis. This means that exiting cricket is coming very near to our home. How many times you went to watch a Ranji match, but I bet you will be going for twenty20 matches between the same two teams at your nearest cricket stadiums as Twenty20 is really fun to watch and quick enough to finish in the speculated free time that we normally get.... so, on a Sunday evening, if you don't get the tickets for the latest movie released, try a Twenty20 cricket match...
Let me pen down the basic difference between One day International (ODI) cricket matches and Twenty20 cricket matches, just to make sure you get adjusted to this new idea easily..
1) First and foremost, Twenty20 is a 20 overs each side cricket match. So, each bowler is allowed to bowl a maximum of 4 overs whereas in ODI's, which were of 50 overs per side, 10 overs were maximum for any bowler.
2) When first Twenty20 cricket were started in England, fielding restriction were applied for first 6 overs whereas it were 20 overs for a full 50 overs ODI. But there has been news that when Twenty20 will be played at an International level, fielding restrictions will be applied for full period... this rule is yet to be confirmed as Indian team is yet to play a twenty20 game themselves but one rule is confirmed - a fielding captain can't have more than 5 fielders on the leg side at any moment of that twenty20 match.
3) The Time out Rule - usually, 3 minutes are given to a new batsmen to come to the wicket after a fall of wicket, but in Twenty20, this rule is changed to 1 minute and 30 seconds. Even the interval time for the break of innings is limited to just 15 minutes.
4) In ODI cricket, a no ball costs the fielding side 1 run and also the runs scored by the batsmen off that illegal ball... but in Twenty20 cricket matches, 2 runs are awarded to the batting side for a "foot no ball" bowled by their bowler. And also a free hit off the next delivery..
What is this free hit in Twenty20 cricket matches - well, a free hit means that the batsman can't be out off the next ball that that bowler bowls after he had bowled a foot no ball previously. This means that the batsman can slog anywhere and anyhow he wants, without the fear of being getting out, as he can't get out off that ball. BUT MIND YOU, he can be run out alright.
5) In ODI cricket, penalties were given to the teams who fails to bowl their quota of overs in the speculated time but in TWenty20 cricket rules, penalties are there for the team who bowls their overs quickly as well. Each team is given one hour and 15 minutes = 75 minutes to bowl their 20 overs. Which means 3.75 minutes for each over. Teams will be penalized if they fail to bowl at that rate, and also penalized if they go faster than that.... what a bizarre rule but its true friend..!!
6) Bouncers - Now here is no difference between one day internationals and Twenty20 cricket matches. Each bowler is allowed one bouncer each over.
7) If the match ends with the scores tied and there must be a winner, the tie is broken with a bowl out which means that five bowlers from each side bowling 2 balls at an unguarded wicket, very similar to what penalty shootouts in Football is. If the number of wickets is equal after the first 10 balls per side, the bowling continues and is decided by sudden death, which means that whichever teams bowler misses the wicket first, his team looses..!!
Although I have tried to include all the necessary difference between ODI and TWenty20 cricket matches, if you still have some doubts, I suggest you leave a question at forum.itsonlycricket.com and we are here to answer your query...
