In 2017, the International Cricket Council officially sanctioned a new format of cricket called T10. It became the shortest internationally recognised format of the game wherein each side can bat for 10 overs in their innings. The match usually reaches its conclusion in nearly 90 minutes.
The first country to make most of this opportunity was West Indies. The governing body of cricket in the Windies organized a new tournament called the 6ixty (referring to the 60 balls bowled per innings). Next to follow cue were Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe who introduced their versions of T10 competitions.
Irrespective of the tournament, the rules for a T10 match remain consistent. No bowler is allowed to bowl more than two overs in an innings. Field restrictions come into picture in the last three overs of the innings. This is also known as powerplay. In the powerplay, no more than two players can stand outside the 30-yard inner circle.
Powerplay rules can be subject to change depending on the tournament. In some events the powerplay is activated only in the first three overs of the innings. In some other events, the first two overs are powerplay whereas an additional ‘floating’ powerplay over can be activated by the batting side later in the innings.
A tied match, that is, when both sides score the same number of runs at the end of 10 overs, a Super Over acts as a tiebreaker. This is a one over match where the team who scores more runs in the super over wins. Losing two wickets in the super over marks the end of innings. Should a super over be tied, then another is played till a winner is decided.
Abu Dhabi, European Cricket, Qatar, Kenya, and USA are a few non-test cricket playing nations wherein T10 format is adopted among the cricketers. However, the shorter format has met immense criticism. Adding another format means churning out space in an already saturated calendar. Not all eleven players are likely to contribute given the shorter format of the game. Moreover, detrimental claims have been made regarding corruption and match-fixing charges in T10 leagues. As of April 2025, the future of T10 cricket remains bleak in terms of a rigorous format.
