10th edition ICC Men’s T20 World Cup It will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, 2026.

20 teams will compete in 55 matches for the chance to win cricket’s most prestigious T20 trophy.

But cricket has a range of commonly used terms and phrases that can be confusing to newcomers.

In this illustrated guide, Al Jazeera breaks down cricket terminology to help you understand a game loved by nearly two billion people.

What is the purpose of the game?

Cricket is a racket sport played between two teams, each team consisting of 11 players.

The game is divided into two parts called innings.

In the first inning, after a coin toss, the first team bats while the other team pitches and bowls.

The batting team should try to score the most runs in the allotted time, while the bowling team must try to prevent them from scoring runs.

The bowling team has dedicated bowlers while the rest of the players are spread out on the ground trying to stop the batsmen from scoring runs and catching the ball to get the batsmen out.

In the second innings, the bowling team now takes turns batting and tries to score more runs than their opponents.

The team with the most runs at the end of the day wins.

What does T20 mean?

There are three different formats of cricket, each with its own duration and rules.

Each format has its own defined set of “overs”.

The “over” consists of six deliveries by the bowler.

in T20 matchesGames usually last three to four hours, with each team having 20 overs (120 balls) to score the most points. This competition format is designed to be shorter and faster-paced, creating more excitement for the audience.

One Day International (ODI) Games usually last about seven to eight hours. Each team has a total of 300 overs, divided into 50 overs, to score the most runs.

test match It is the longest and oldest form of the game and can be played for up to five days. It is considered a test of endurance and skill. There are at least 90 rounds every day. Both teams have two innings each.

cricket pitches and pitches

Cricket is played on a large oval, usually about 150 meters (164 yards) in diameter at its widest point, with a boundary rope around it.

In the center of the field is the pitch, a rectangular area about 20 meters (22 yards) long and 3 meters (3.3 yards) wide, where most games are played.

At each end of the pitch there are three wooden sticks, called wickets or stumps, with two railings above them.

The batsman stands in a designated area (called the batting crease) in front of these wickets. From there, he or she will hit the ball incoming from the bowler.

During the game, the batting side actually has two players on the field, one at each end of the field, taking turns hitting the ball.

The bowling team, meanwhile, will spread all 11 players around the pitch to minimize the number of runs scored by the opponent.

Some of the most common locations are as follows:

How are runs scored?

The aim of the batsman is to score as many runs as possible by hitting the ball into the gap between the fielders or over the boundary rope.

To score runs, the batsman needs to hit the ball, then run to the other side of the field with his batting partner, and then the fielders return the ball; otherwise, they may be run out.

One run is scored when both batters complete one run safely, two runs are scored when they complete two runs, and so on.

Four runs are awarded if the batsman hits the ball along the ground and reaches the boundary rope.

To indicate that four points have been scored, the referee moves his right hand from side to side, waving it back and forth horizontally repeatedly.

A maximum of six runs are scored when a batsman hits the ball directly over the boundary before it bounces. This shot is the most valuable, but also the most dangerous because of the possibility of being hit or caught.

To signal a six, the referee will raise his hands above his head, which fans often imitate.

How do players get “out”?

There are various ways to get a batsman out, each of which is known as “losing a wicket”.

Since cricket is played in pairs of batsmen, their innings ends when the 10 players of the batting team are dismissed, and the sum of their scores sets the target score for the bowling team.

The most common ways to get players to quit include:

Pitching: This happens if the batsman misses the ball and the ball goes on to hit the wicket.

Capture: The batsman is out while batting and the fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground.

Exhausted: A run occurs when the fielding team throws the ball towards the wicket before the batsman attempts to score a run and reaches the other side of the field.

LBW (leg before wicket): This decision depends on various factors, but in short, if the ball hits the batsman’s legs while they are standing in front of the wicket, an LBW can be given, thus preventing the wicket from being hit.

To indicate “out,” the umpire standing in the center of the field raises his index finger to indicate that the batsman has been ejected.

This gesture is often referred to as the referee’s “finger up” or “finger out”.

How do you read fractions?

To track the score of a cricket match, you need to look at three numbers.

The first is the number of times a team scores – the higher the number, the better.

The second one represents the number of “outs” or “wickets”. Once 10 players are out, their innings ends.

The third is the number of overs bowled.

Putting it all together, the score might look like this: 109-5 (10 rounds)

This means 109 runs have been scored, 5 players have been eliminated, and 10 overs have been completed.

Typically, teams play 100 to 250 runs in T20 matches. 100 points is considered a low score for a defense, while 250 points is usually very strong.

The highest scoring international T20 cricket match is the 2024 match between Zimbabwe and The Gambia.

Zimbabwe batted first and posted a mammoth score of 344-4 in 20 overs. In reply, Gambia managed only 54 runs before losing all 10 wickets.

Zimbabwe won by 290 runs.