Twenty20 cricket

Twenty20 cricket, truncated form of cricket that revolutionized the game when it was introduced in 2003 with rule changes that put a premium on hitting and scoring, gaining a new audience for cricket.

Rules and history

The basic rules are the same as for the longer versions, but innings are limited to 20 overs a side (an over comprises six balls delivered, or thrown, by a bowler to a batsman at the opposite wicket), with a maximum of four overs for each bowler and restrictions on the placement of fielders designed to encourage big hitting by the batters and high scores. In a short time, T20 became the most popular and lucrative form of cricket, particularly in India, where huge crowds attend matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and millions more watch on television. A shortened form of cricket known as Cricket Max was developed in New Zealand in the 1990s by the former Test batsman Martin Crowe, but the official rules for T20 were established by the England and Wales Cricket Board, and the first tournament was played by the English county teams, in 2003.

The format was quickly adopted by other countries, and two years later Australia and New Zealand played each other in a lighthearted T20 match in Auckland, the first official international T20 match. Both sides wore uniforms from the 1980s and wore (mostly fake) mustaches. It quickly became apparent, though, that T20 had the potential to attract a new, vibrant, young audience to cricket. The first T20 Men’s World Cup, organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and played in South Africa in 2007, was won by India, creating a huge market for T20 on the subcontinent that was quickly exploited by the IPL. Subsequent World Cups were played in various cricket-playing countries. Each major cricketing country developed its own domestic T20 tournaments, and a Champions League competition between the best club sides—like that contested in European football (soccer)—is held at the end of each T20 season. Starting with 12 competing teams in 2007, the 2014 World Cup went on to include 16 teams. The 2024 T20 Men’s World Cup saw further expansion, with 20 teams competing. Three teams made a T20 World Cup debut in 2024—USA, Canada, and Uganda. This was the first time a major ICC cricket tournament was held in the United States, the co-hosts for the event along with the West Indies.

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With its cheerleaders, loud music, and quick-fire entertainment, T20 was credited with reviving cricket in the 21st century. After initial doubts, players began to master the new skills demanded by T20 and to improve their fielding, throwing, and fitness. Traditional cricket followers, however, feared that inevitably T20 would threaten the future of Test cricket, regarded as the purest and most intricate form of the game.

Twenty20 Men’s World Cup results

Results of the Twenty20 Men’s World Cup are provided in the table.