Cricket is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports globally. In terms of popularity and viewership, it stands only second to football. Similar to how football is passionately followed by fans, cricket matches, tournaments, and events receive a similar response from fans.
The sport is so deeply loved that besides merely watching cricket matches on their screens, fans love indulging in activities that offer them a more immersive experience. One such activity is indulging in fantasy cricket. To play fantasy cricket online, all enthusiasts need is a robust fantasy cricket app and a stable Internet connection.
Ever since the game of cricket came into existence, it has evolved a lot in terms of formats. In simpler words, authoritative bodies have introduced numerous formats over the course of years. Currently, there are three major cricket formats at the International level. Here is a detailed look at each one:
Test Cricket
Test cricket is one of the oldest official formats of cricket. In test cricket matches, two international teams, each consisting of 11 players, play against each other. Every side plays two innings, and to put it simply, the team with the most runs at the end of a match wins the game. Test matches can last for five days.
- Brief History of the Format:
The first-ever test match was played approximately 146 years ago. It was played between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground or SCG, which is deemed one of the largest cricket stadiums globally, in March 1877.
- Possible Outcomes of Test Matches:
As opposed to other formats of cricket, test matches can have numerous outcomes. Here is a look at all of them:
- The team that bats last will emerge victorious if they put on more score on the board than their opponents without losing any of their wickets.
- The team batting first will win if they put up a higher score than the opposition and manage to clinch all the wickets of their opposing team. The match will end as a draw if they fail to take all ten wickets.
- The match will end in a tie or draw if the team batting loses all ten wickets and the overall scores are level.
One-Day Internationals or ODIs
When it comes to limited-overs formats, ODIs are very popular among the masses. Unlike test matches that last five days, ODI matches can be contested over one day. In case of special circumstances such as weather issues, ODI matches can be played on a reserve day.
Two teams, each consisting of 11 players, compete against each other in an ODI match. Each side gets to play 50 overs. The team with the highest score at the end wins the match.
- Brief History of the Format:
Unlike the first official test match which was planned, the first ODI happened by accident. The story behind it is that England was touring Australia in 1970-71. During the tour, the third test match between the teams was interrupted by heavy rains for three whole days. Hence, to decide the game’s outcome, both teams indulged in a 40-over game, wherein Australia won by five wickets.
- Possible Outcomes of ODI Matches:
- The team batting first wins the match if they manage to prevent their opposition from reaching the target score. They can do this either by taking all their wickets or by preventing them from scoring the target.
- The team bowling first wins the match if they manage to score the target given their opposition within 50 overs.
- The match ends in a tie if both teams end up scoring precisely the same number of runs.
T20 Internationals
T20 International is the shortest format of cricket currently. It is the most loved cricket format since T20 matches are comparatively shorter than other formats and more entertaining to watch. Like ODIs, T20 matches are contested over one day.
As its name suggests, each side plays 20 overs. Similar to other prominent formats, two teams of 11 players compete against each other in a T20 match. The team with the highest score at the end of a match wins.
- Brief History of the Format:
The first-ever T20I match took place between Australia and New Zealand in 2005. The match was played at the renowned Eden Park stadium located in Auckland. The boys from the land down under defeated the kiwis and clinched the title of winning the first-ever T20I match.
- Possible Outcomes of T20I Matches:
Similar to ODIs, a T20I match can end in a win, loss, or draw. Here is a brief look how:
- The team batting first wins the game if they set up a target of runs that the opposition fails to cross when batting in the second innings, which the former can do by taking all the latter’s wickets or by preventing them from scoring the target.
- The team bowling first wins the match if they manage to score the target given their opposition within 20 overs.
- The match ends in a tie if both teams end up scoring exactly the same number of runs.
Its interesting formats is one of the most prominent reasons why cricket enjoys so much popularity globally. All major tournaments and cricket leagues, irrespective of whether they are international or domestic, are all domestic all watched by millions of people. Given the sensation the sport has been globally for the last few decades, it would be safe to say that cricket’s popularity will only increase in the future.
