Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game between two teams of 11. One side bats and tries to score runs, by running between the wickets at either end of a 22-yard pitch or by hitting the ball to the boundary, while the other side bowls and fields and tries to get the batters out, for example bowled, caught or leg before wicket. International men's cricket has three formats: the Test, of up to five days with two innings a side; the one-day international of 50 overs a side; and the T20 international of 20 overs a side.
New to cricket? Start here
Which to watch first, and how long
Start with T20. The shortest international form: one evening, and a result every time.
- T20
- 20 overs a side; a T20 international is scheduled as two sessions of 1 hour 25 minutes
- ODI
- 50 overs a side, over one day
- Test
- Up to five days, at least 90 overs a day; each side bats twice
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1ICC Men's Cricket World CupThe oldest and most prized world title in cricket.Every 4 years · Holder: Australia
- 2ICC Women's Cricket World CupThe women's one-day world title.About every 4 years (2017, 2022, 2025; next 2029) · Holder: India
- 3ICC T20 World CupThe T20 world title.Every 2 years · Holder: Men: India; Women: Australia
- 4Olympic Games (cricket)On the programme at Los Angeles 2028, as T20; cricket's only earlier Olympic match was in 1900.Every 4 years
India
- ICC Men's Cricket World Cup: 2 titles (1983, 2011); 4 finals (1983, 2003, 2011, 2023)
- ICC Women's Cricket World Cup: 1 title (2025); 3 finals (2005, 2017, 2025)
- ICC Men's T20 World Cup: 3 titles; 4 finals (2007, 2014, 2024, 2026)
- ICC Women's T20 World Cup: Runners-up once (2020); semi-finals four times
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- IndiaICC Men's Cricket World Cup: 2 titles, 2 times runner-up (latest 2023); ICC Men's T20 World Cup: 3 titles, runner-up once (latest 2026)
- AustraliaICC Men's Cricket World Cup: 6 titles, 2 times runner-up (latest 2023); ICC Women's Cricket World Cup: 7 titles, 2 times runner-up (latest 2022)
- EnglandICC Men's Cricket World Cup: 1 title, 3 times runner-up (latest 2019); ICC Women's Cricket World Cup: 4 titles, 4 times runner-up (latest 2022)
- New ZealandICC Women's Cricket World Cup: 1 title, 3 times runner-up (latest 2009); ICC Women's T20 World Cup: 1 title, 2 times runner-up (latest 2024)
- Sri LankaICC Men's Cricket World Cup: 1 title, 2 times runner-up (latest 2011); ICC Men's T20 World Cup: 1 title, 2 times runner-up (latest 2014)
- PakistanICC Men's Cricket World Cup: 1 title, runner-up once (latest 1999); ICC Men's T20 World Cup: 1 title, 2 times runner-up (latest 2022)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Laws of Cricket, 2017 Code, 4th Edition, in force from 1 October 2026; the International Cricket Council (ICC) sets the playing conditions for international matches |
| International federation | International Cricket Council (ICC) |
| In India | Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the ICC's member for India. It is not a recognised national sports federation and has never sought to be one |
Where and when it is played
On a field with a 22-yard pitch in the middle; in internationals the boundary is between 65 and 90 yards from the centre of the pitch. The big events: the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup every four years, the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup about every four years and the ICC T20 World Cup every two years.