Cricket, with its rich history spanning over a century, has evolved into various formats. One of the most popular emerging formats is box cricket, also known as indoor cricket.
Borrowing elements from traditional cricket, box cricket has developed its unique identity and is gaining traction, especially in India.
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What is Box Cricket?
Two teams of six to eight players each play box cricket in a confined area, usually on turf covered in nets.
Matches typically last around an hour, and the rules can vary depending on the location and tournament.
General Rules
1. Team Composition: Teams generally consist of 6-8 players, with one substitute. If women are playing, teams often maintain an equal gender ratio, like 4:2 or 6:2.
2. Match Duration: Games are played over 5-12 overs. Bowlers are allowed to bowl a maximum of one-quarter of the total overs or two overs in some cases.
3. Dismissals: Besides conventional dismissals, unique rules apply:
– Anything hit outside the playing area results in the batsman’s dismissal.
– Rebound catches off the sides or roof are considered wickets.
4. Penalty Runs: The fall of a wicket results in penalty runs for the batting team, usually up to -5 runs.
5. Jackpot Ball: Runs scored are doubled on the jackpot ball, which is the final ball of the inning.
Negative runs are also doubled if there’s a dismissal.
6. Field Placement: Two fielders must be placed behind and two in front of the bowling crease.
7. Tiebreakers: Ties are often resolved by a super over, coin toss, or a one-ball hit out.
Batting Rules
1. Wickets: In 8-player matches, teams have seven wickets. In some cases, a last-man-standing rule allows the last batsman to continue alone.
2. Dismissals: Three successive dot balls or misses are considered a dismissal.
3. Scoreboards: Hitting the scoreboards around the nets awards 8-10 runs.
4. Crease: Runs are valid only if the batsman remains inside the crease.
5. Roof Hits: Hitting the roof can result in a dead ball or dismissal, depending on the rules.
6. Rebound Runs: Some places award runs for rebounds off the roof.
Bowling Rules
1. Bowling Style: Underarm bowling is common, especially for female cricketers. Male cricketers usually bowl with a permissible elbow flex, eliminating run-ups.
2. Crease: It is required that the bowler bowl from behind the crease. Overstepping results in penalty runs as extras.
3. Box Area: The bowler must bowl from a designated box around the bowling crease.
4. Extras: No-balls, wides, byes, and overthrows apply, but leg byes are generally disallowed.
5. Sidearm Action: Sidearm actions, like Lasith Malinga’s, are banned.
6. Penalties: Bowlers can reduce the batting team’s score with each dismissal, costing -5 penalty runs.
Dismissal Rules
1. Conventional Dismissals: Leg before wicket, hit-wicket, bowled, and caught all apply.
2. Three Dots Rule: Three consecutive dot balls or misses leading to a dismissal.
3. No Stumping Off No-Balls: No stumping is allowed off no-balls, but wides are an exception.
4. Keeper’s Stumping Rule: The keeper must collect the ball from behind the stumps before attempting a stumping.
Box cricket is an exciting substitute for traditional cricket due to its dynamic and flexible rules.
Its popularity is soaring in India, with numerous leagues and tournaments attracting enthusiastic participants.
This exciting format continues to captivate cricket lovers, offering a fresh and fast-paced twist to the beloved sport.
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