Cricket guide
Test, ODI and T20: the three formats explained
Cricket is played in three main international formats. They share the same basic rules, but the length of the match changes how teams bat, bowl and plan. Here's how they compare.
| Test | ODI | T20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overs per side | No limit (around 90 overs are scheduled each day) | 50 | 20 |
| Innings per side | Two | One | One |
| Typical length | Up to five days | About 7–8 hours | About 3–3½ hours |
| Most overs one bowler can bowl | No limit | 10 | 4 |
| Can it be a draw? | Yes, if time runs out | No (a washout is "no result") | No (a washout is "no result") |
Test cricket
Tests are the oldest format and the one players call the hardest. Each side bats twice, and to win you have to bowl the other team out twice and outscore them. If the five days run out before that happens, the match is drawn, which is why declarations, weather and the pitch wearing down all matter. Live updates use words like "stumps" (end of the day) and "lead by 213 runs" (the first-innings gap).
One-Day Internationals (ODIs)
Each side gets 50 overs. Fielding restrictions, called powerplays, shape the innings in three phases:
- Overs 1–10: at most two fielders outside the 30-yard circle, so batters attack early.
- Overs 11–40: at most four outside the circle, the steady middle.
- Overs 41–50: at most five outside the circle, when the big hitting comes.
T20
Twenty overs a side, finished in an evening. The first six overs are the powerplay, with at most two fielders outside the circle. Because each bowler can bowl only four overs, captains juggle five or more bowlers. T20 is the format of the big franchise leagues, including the IPL in India, and the easiest place for a new fan to start.
Which should you watch first?
Start with T20: a whole match fits into one evening and almost every over matters. Once the rules feel natural, an ODI shows how batters pace a longer innings, and a Test shows the strategy side of the game at its fullest.