Kriketti

Kriketti is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of eleven players. The game originated in England during the 16th to 18th centuries and developed into today’s form under the Laws of Cricket, maintained by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). International competition is administered by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Play takes place on a large oval field with a rectangular 22-yard long pitch at the center. The batting team tries to score runs by hitting the ball and running between the two wickets or by hitting the ball to the boundary (four or six runs). The bowling team attempts to dismiss batsmen and limit runs. A team innings ends after ten wickets fall or a set number of overs or time elapses, depending on format.

Three main formats in international cricket: Test cricket, played over up to five days with unlimited overs; One Day Internationals (ODIs) with 50 overs per side; and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) with 20 overs per side. Each format has its own strategies and audience.

Players wear protective gear; the ball is a hard leather sphere; the bat is flat-faced; stumps at each end. The pitch length and boundary define scoring; matches are held in national grounds around the world.

Cricket is most popular in Commonwealth countries; top teams include Australia, India, England, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies. The sport features major global events such as the Cricket World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20, plus numerous domestic leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and The Hundred.