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A standard T20 international (T20I) gives each team one innings of up to 20 overs. The first six overs of each full-length innings are the Powerplay, when no more than two fielders may be outside the marked restriction area. A tied match may go to a Super Over under the playing conditions for that match.
How a T20 international is structured
Each team bats once. In an uninterrupted match, an innings is limited to 20 overs, unless the batting side is dismissed earlier. If the first team is all out, the second team is still entitled to its full 20 overs. A chase ends earlier if the second team reaches its target.
An over consists of six legal deliveries. A wide or no-ball is not one of those six, so the bowler must deliver an additional ball; an over can therefore include more than six deliveries. In an uninterrupted innings, no bowler may bowl more than four overs. When rain or another interruption reduces an innings, the applicable bowler limit is adjusted under the relevant playing conditions rather than assumed to remain four.
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For the current men’s T20I edition, see the ICC’s playing-conditions index and its October 2026 men’s T20I playing conditions (clauses 13.6–13.9). The index lists separate men’s and women’s documents, addendums and event-specific conditions; the rulebook named for a particular fixture or competition controls.
What the Powerplay means
In a standard 20-over innings, the Powerplay is overs 1 through 6. At the instant the bowler delivers the ball, no more than two fielders may be outside the fielding restriction area. In the remaining overs, no more than five may be outside it.
“Outside the circle” is common shorthand, but the playing conditions define the area more precisely: a 30-yard (27.43-metre) radius semi-circle centered on the middle stump at each end of the pitch, joined by parallel lines. The restriction is judged at the instant of delivery. An infringement is called a no-ball under the cited men’s conditions.
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| Part of a standard innings | Overs | Maximum fielders outside the restriction area |
|---|---|---|
| Powerplay | 1–6 | 2 |
| Non-Powerplay | 7–20 | 5 |
These are standard men’s T20I limits in the ICC conditions listed for October 2026. Check the applicable edition and competition regulations for a specific match.
How the Powerplay changes in a shortened innings
A reduced innings has a shorter Powerplay, allocated according to its revised over limit. In cricket notation, a figure such as “1.3” means one completed over plus three balls, not 1.3 decimal overs.
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| Revised innings limit | Powerplay duration |
|---|---|
| 5 overs | 1.3 overs (one over and three balls) |
| 6 overs | 1.5 overs (one over and five balls) |
| 7 overs | 2.1 overs (two overs and one ball) |
| 8 overs | 2.2 overs (two overs and two balls) |
| 9 overs | 2.4 overs (two overs and four balls) |
| 10 overs | 3.0 overs |
| 11 overs | 3.2 overs (three overs and two balls) |
| 12 overs | 3.4 overs (three overs and four balls) |
| 13 overs | 3.5 overs (three overs and five balls) |
| 14 overs | 4.1 overs (four overs and one ball) |
| 15 overs | 4.3 overs (four overs and three balls) |
| 16 overs | 4.5 overs (four overs and five balls) |
| 17 overs | 5.1 overs (five overs and one ball) |
| 18 overs | 5.2 overs (five overs and two balls) |
| 19 overs | 5.4 overs (five overs and four balls) |
These are the shortened-innings allocations in the ICC men’s T20I table. If an interruption occurs during an over, the remaining balls of that over may no longer be restricted if the revised Powerplay allocation has already been completed.
What happens when a T20I is tied?
A tied match may be decided by a Super Over, subject to the playing conditions and tournament regulations for that fixture. Under the men’s procedure published by the ICC, the team that batted second in the match bats first in the Super Over. Each team gets one over; that one-over innings ends when the side loses two wickets or completes the over. The Super Over uses the fielding restrictions that apply to the match’s final over.
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If the Super Over also ends level, a tie-break procedure applies. The ICC’s published men’s Super Over appendix dates to 2 October 2017 and includes a boundary-count and count-back procedure. Do not assume that this older procedure governs every current event: consult the current playing conditions and the competition’s regulations for the tie-break in force.
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Which rules apply to a particular match?
The standard figures above describe the men’s T20I conditions listed for October 2026, not every form of T20 cricket. The ICC maintains separate men’s and women’s T20I playing conditions and addendums, and a tournament may also publish event-specific conditions. Use the rulebook and regulations named for the match when checking a disputed call, a shortened-innings allocation or a Super Over tie-break.
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The ICC also announced a slow-over-rate fielding penalty in January 2022: if the fielding side is not ready to bowl the first ball of the final over by the scheduled or rescheduled end time, one fewer fielder may be outside the 30-yard circle for the remaining overs. Because operational playing conditions can change, check the current clause before relying on that provision for a particular fixture.
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