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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →A standard T20 international (T20I) has two innings, with each team allowed up to 20 overs. The first six overs are the Powerplay, when only two fielders may be outside the defined fielding-restriction area; for the rest of the innings, up to five may be outside. If the match is tied, the applicable playing conditions may provide for a Super Over.
How a T20 international is structured
Each team bats once. In an uninterrupted match, each innings can last a maximum of 20 overs, unless the batting side is dismissed earlier. If the first team is all out, the second team remains entitled to its full 20 overs. The rules can shorten innings when a match is interrupted, and the fixture’s playing conditions determine the revised allocation. See the ICC’s playing-conditions index for the applicable edition and competition documents.
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Overs and legal deliveries
An over is made up of six legal deliveries. A wide or no-ball is not a legal delivery, so it does not count among those six; the bowler must deliver an additional ball. As a result, an over can contain more than six deliveries.
Bowling limits
In an uninterrupted innings, no bowler may bowl more than four overs. That limit is subject to adjustment in shortened matches, so it should not be assumed to remain four when an innings allocation is reduced. The ICC’s current men’s T20I playing conditions, October 2026 edition, set out the innings and bowling limits in clauses 13.6–13.9.
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What the Powerplay changes
The standard Powerplay is the first six overs of each innings. At the instant the ball is delivered, no more than two fielders may be outside the fielding-restriction area. During the remaining overs, the limit is five outside. The ICC defines the area using a 30-yard (27.43-metre) radius semi-circle centred on the middle stump at each end of the pitch, joined by parallel lines. “Outside the circle” is common shorthand, but the marked restriction area is what the rule refers to.
A fielding-restriction infringement is called as a no-ball under the cited men’s T20I conditions. The precise rule is in clause 28.7 of the ICC men’s T20I playing conditions.
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| Phase | Overs in a standard 20-over innings | Maximum fielders outside the restriction area at delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Powerplay | First 6 overs | 2 |
| Non-Powerplay | Overs 7–20 | 5 |
How the Powerplay changes in a shortened innings
A reduced innings has a shorter Powerplay. In the men’s T20I table, the allocation is expressed in cricket over notation: the number after the point is balls, not a decimal fraction of an over. For example, 1.3 means one completed over and three balls. These are the Powerplay allocations in the ICC men’s T20I conditions, October 2026 edition:
| Innings allocation | Powerplay allocation |
|---|---|
| 5 overs | 1.3 overs |
| 6 overs | 1.5 overs |
| 7 overs | 2.1 overs |
| 8 overs | 2.2 overs |
| 9 overs | 2.4 overs |
| 10 overs | 3.0 overs |
| 11 overs | 3.2 overs |
| 12 overs | 3.4 overs |
| 13 overs | 3.5 overs |
| 14 overs | 4.1 overs |
| 15 overs | 4.3 overs |
| 16 overs | 4.5 overs |
| 17 overs | 5.1 overs |
| 18 overs | 5.2 overs |
| 19 overs | 5.4 overs |
The same conditions address rain interruptions during an over: if the revised Powerplay allocation has already been completed, the remaining balls of that over may no longer be subject to the restriction.
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How a Super Over works
A tied T20I may be decided by a Super Over under the playing conditions that apply to that match. In the published men’s procedure, the team that batted second in the match bats first in the Super Over. Each side receives one over, and that side’s innings ends when two wickets fall. The Super Over uses the fielding restrictions that apply to the match’s final over.
If the Super Over is also tied, a further tie-break procedure may apply. The ICC’s published men’s Super Over procedure dates to 2 October 2017 and includes tie-break steps; do not assume those details govern every current event. Consult the current playing conditions and tournament regulations for the match’s tie-resolution rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which rules apply to a particular match?
“T20I” identifies an international format, but the controlling rules depend on the match’s governing document. The ICC lists separate men’s and women’s T20I playing conditions and addendums, alongside event-specific conditions. For a live fixture, check the relevant edition and competition regulations rather than assuming every gender category, edition or tournament uses identical wording.
One operational detail can also affect field placements: an ICC announcement dated 6 January 2022 described a slow-over-rate penalty under which, if the fielding side was not ready to bowl the first ball of the final over by the scheduled or rescheduled end time, one fewer fielder could be outside the 30-yard circle for the remaining overs. Because operational rules can change, check the current conditions before relying on that provision for a particular match.
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