All about Twenty20

Twenty20 is the latest form of cricket adopted by ICC that allows each team to bat for a maximum of only 20 overs a side. The duration of each innings has to be wrapped up within 75 minutes.

Twenty20 cricket has its origin in England. England and Wales Cricket Board in 2003 introduced it at the county level. Twenty20 evolved in English county cricket as the audience was virtually dieng in the county matches.

It touched the floor of success soon after when a crowd of 26,500 turned up for the first Twenty20 match at Lord’s. It was a historic moment as the match pulled up the largest number of spectators that has ever happened for a county game other than a one-day final since 1953.

The ICC Board agreed to include ICC World Twenty20 competition at a meeting in April 2006.

Being a cricket crazy Indian one could not imagine that India was the last of all the 10 Test-playing nations to actually play a Twenty20. In their first Twenty20 match India beat South Africa by 6 wickets in Johannesburg on December 1, 2006.

Twenty20 cricket is an altogether different pattern of the game. Australia have registered the record of making the highest total of 220 as well as the lowest of 79 runs in Twenty20 internationals. Both the records have been registered against England.


English skipper Paul Collingwood is the highest wicket taker in this form of the cricket. He took 9 wickets.

Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, has managed the highest score in an innings. He made 98 and remained not out.

West Indian batsman Marlon Samuels has the highest strike rate of 202.17 in Twenty20 international cricket.

The Wanderers stadium, Johannesburg in South Africa that is the venue of the World Twenty20 championship, has a unique record of hosting the highest number of Twenty20 international matches. The ground hosted four matches in a day.

Bureau Report