CRICKET FIELD

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game that is played between two teams of eleven players on a field, at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps. Two players from the batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats, while one player from the fielding team, the bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of the pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these swaps. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally.

Cricket

Shaun Pollock of South Africa bowls to Michael Hussey of Australia during the 2005 Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Highest governing body

International Cricket Council

Nicknames

The Gentlemen's Game[1]

First played

16th century; South East England

Characteristics

Contact

No

Team members

11 players per side (substitutes permitted in some circumstances)

Mixed-sex

No, separate competitions

Type

Team sport, Bat-and-Ball

Equipment

Cricket ball, Cricket bat, Wicket (Stumps, Bails), Protective equipment

Venue

Cricket field

Glossary

Glossary of cricket terms

Presence

Country or region

Worldwide (most popular in the Commonwealth)

Olympic

1900, 2028

The fielding team aims to prevent runs by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Dismissal can occur in various ways, including being bowled (when the ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails), and by the fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to the newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20), in which each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being a set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours.

Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit, but in limited overs cricket, they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by the ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with a slightly raised sewn seam enclosing a cork core layered with tightly wound string.

The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire, with the first international matches in the second half of the 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules, the Laws of Cricket, are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London. The sport is primarily played in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa and the West Indies.[2]

While cricket has traditionally been played largely by men, women's cricket has experienced significant growth in the 21st century.[3]

The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia, which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups, more than any other country, and has been the top-rated Test side more than any other country.[4][5]

Sports

 The milestone event will commemorate a century of India’s rich hockey heritage, honouring the legends who brought the nation glory and celebrating the sport’s enduring spirit that continues to inspire millions. The celebrations in New Delhi will begin at 8:30 AM, featuring a series of special events that capture the essence of Indian hockey’s glorious journey.

“As India celebrates 100 years of hockey, we honour a century of pride, perseverance, and national glory. This milestone is an occasion to remember our heroes who brought honour to the country and to draw inspiration from their journey as we look ahead. Hockey is more than just a sport for India — it is part of our identity and collective spirit. The celebrations across more than 550 districts will not only highlight our legacy but also take the story of Indian hockey to every corner of the nation, inspiring young boys and girls to pick up the stick and play with passion,” said Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

A 30-minute exhibition match featuring the Union Minister’s XI and Hockey

India’s Mixed XI (Men & Women) will highlight gender parity, teamwork, and inclusivity, with elite players from both the men’s and women’s national teams participating. This will be followed by the felicitation of hockey legends across generations, recognising their contribution to India’s status as the world’s most successful hockey nation, with eight Olympic gold medals and 13 Olympic podium finishes.

Hockey is one of the priority sports in the government’s scheme of things. Men and women’s hockey feature among the government’s premier schemes – Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and Target Asian Games Group (TAGG). Under these schemes, national teams receive funding for training, competitions, exposure trips and allowances among other facilities in every Olympic cycle. To spread hockey among women, the Sports Ministry organises ASMITA hockey league across the country at the junior and sub-junior levels.

“The government remains deeply committed to strengthening India’s sporting ecosystem through greater investment, modern infrastructure, and institutional reforms. Our vision is clear — to make India one of the top sporting nations in the world by 2036 and to consistently perform at the highest levels in every discipline. With continued collaboration between the Ministry, the Sports Authority of India, and federations like Hockey India, we will continue to nurture young talent, expand access to sport, and ensure that India’s tricolour flies high on every international stage,” the sports minister added.

Sport

Sport includes all forms of competitive physical activity or games which,through casual or organized participation, at least in part aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants, and in some cases, entertainment for spectators.Sports can bring positive results to one's physical health. Hundreds of sports exist, from those between single contestants, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals. In certain sports such as racing, many contestants may compete, simultaneously or consecutively, with one winner; in others, the contest (a match) is between two sides, each attempting to exceed the other. Some sports allow a "tie" or "draw", in which there is no single winner; others provide tie-breaking methods to ensure one winner and one loser. A number of contests may be arranged in a tournament producing a champion. Many sports leagues make an annual champion by arranging games in a regular sports season, followed in some cases by playoffs.

Sport is generally recognised as system of activities which are based in physical athleticism or physical dexterity, with the largest major competitions such as the Olympic Games admitting only sports meeting this definition,and other organisations such as the Council of Europe using definitions precluding activities without a physical element from classification as sports.However, a number of competitive, but non-physical, activities claim recognition as mind sports. The International Olympic Committee (through ARISF) recognises both chess and bridge as bona fide sports, and SportAccord, the international sports federation association, recognises five non-physical sports: bridge, chess, draughts (checkers), Go and xiangqi,and limits the number of mind games which can be admitted as sports.

Sport is usually governed by a set of rules or customs, which serve to ensure fair competition, and allow consistent adjudication of the winner. Winning can be determined by physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first. It can also be determined by judges who are scoring elements of the sporting performance, including objective or subjective measures such as technical performance or artistic impression.

Records of performance are often kept, and for popular sports, this information may be widely announced or reported in sport news. Sport is also a major source of entertainment for non-participants, with spectator sport drawing large crowds to sport venues, and reaching wider audiences through broadcasting. Sport betting is in some cases severely regulated, and in some cases is central to the sport.

According to A.T. Kearney, a consultancy, the global sporting industry is worth up to $620 billion as of 2013.The world's most accessible and practised sport is running, while association football is the most popular spectator sport.