Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that originated in England and is now popular worldwide, particularly in countries such as India, Australia, Pakistan, and the West Indies. The game is played between two teams, each consisting of eleven players. It is typically played on a circular or oval field with a 22-yard-long rectangular pitch at the center. Each team takes turns batting and fielding.

The objective of the batting team is to score runs by hitting the ball bowled by the opposing team and running between the wickets or by hitting boundaries (four runs if the ball reaches the boundary after bouncing, six runs if it crosses the boundary without touching the ground). The fielding team aims to dismiss the batsmen and restrict the runs scored.

Cricket has various formats, including Test matches (which last up to five days), One Day Internationals (50 overs per side), and Twenty20 matches (20 overs per side). The laws of cricket are maintained by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the game is governed by a complex set of rules that dictate how the game is played, scoring is calculated, and how dismissals occur. Cricket is known for its traditions and strategic depth, requiring both physical skills and mental acumen.