In cricket, a free hit is a delivery to a batter in which the batter cannot be dismissed by any methods other than those applicable for a no-ball, namely run out, hit the ball twice and obstructing the field. [1]
The rule is used in limited overs matches. When a bowler bowls a no-ball, the immediate next ball is a free hit.
It came into international cricket in October 2007. Initially only foot fault no-balls resulted in a free hit. [2]
From 2015, the rules were changed so that all no-balls result in a free hit. [3]
The opportunity afforded by a free hit ball enables the batter to play a more powerful shot without the fear of getting out by any mode that is credited to the bowler, i.e. bowled, caught, LBW, stumped or hit wicket. The fault lies with the fielding side, and the advantage is to the batting side. The only possible modes of dismissal on a free hit delivery are the same as those applicable on a no-ball: run out, obstructing the field and hit the ball twice. [4]
If the batter is caught or bowled on a free hit delivery, the ball would still be in play and the batter can score runs. In case of bowled, the runs would be awarded to the batsman if the bat made contact with the ball before hitting the stumps; in case of clean bowled the runs are counted under byes. [5] [6] [7] Two instances of the latter happened in an ODI between India and England in January 2017, when Liam Plunkett clean bowled MS Dhoni off a free hit delivery and the ball rolled away to the boundary, giving India four byes and of Virat Kohli being clean bowled by Mohammad Nawaz in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan, running for three byes. [8]
The fielding team is not allowed to change the field for the free hit ball, if the same batter (who received the original no-ball) is on strike. However, for safety reasons, if the wicketkeeper is standing up at the stumps they are allowed to move back to a more traditional position.
If the batters ran an odd number of runs on the original no-ball, the other batter is now the striker, and the field may be re-positioned for the free hit. In fact re-positioning is also allowed if the striker changes for whatever reason, for example if a new batter replaces a striker who is run out on the original no-ball, by failing to make his ground on the second run. The field must also be re-positioned if the no-ball was called for an illegal field placement.
The umpire at the bowler's end signals that the next ball is a free hit by making circular movements in the air with one raised hand. The free hit is carried over to the next ball if the original free hit ball is bowled wide or a no-ball; in this case the umpire is required to signal the free hit again.
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make decisions about events on the cricket field according to the Laws of Cricket. Besides making decisions about legality of delivery, appeals for wickets and general conduct of the Game in a legal manner, the umpire also keeps a record of the deliveries and announces the completion of an over.
The Laws of Cricket is a code that specifies the rules of the game of cricket worldwide. The earliest known code was drafted in 1744. Since 1788, the code has been owned and maintained by the private Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in Lord's Cricket Ground, London. There are currently 42 Laws, which describe all aspects of how the game is to be played. MCC has re-coded the Laws six times, each with interim revisions that produce more than one edition. The most recent code, the seventh, was released in October 2017; its 3rd edition came into force on 1 October 2022.
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being watchful of the batsman and ready to take a catch, stump the batsman out and run out a batsman when occasion arises. The wicket-keeper is the only member of the fielding side permitted to wear gloves and external leg guards. The role of the keeper is governed by Law 27 and of the Laws of Cricket.
This is a general glossary of the terminology used in the sport of cricket. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics. Certain aspects of cricket terminology are explained in more detail in cricket statistics and the naming of fielding positions is explained at fielding (cricket).
In cricket, a no-ball is a type of illegal delivery to a batter. It is also a type of extra, being the run awarded to the batting team as a consequence of the illegal delivery. For most cricket games, especially amateur, the definition of all forms of no-ball is from the MCC Laws of Cricket.
In cricket, a wide is a type of illegal delivery to a batter that is judged by the umpire to be too wide or too high to be hit by the batsman by means of a normal cricket shot. It is also a type of extra, being the run awarded to the batting team as a consequence of such an illegal delivery.
In cricket, an extra is a run scored by, or awarded to, a batting team which is not credited to any individual batter. They are the runs scored by methods other than striking the ball with the bat.
In cricket, a dismissal occurs when a batter's innings is brought to an end by the opposing team. Other terms used are the batter being out, the batting side losing a wicket, and the fielding side taking a wicket. The ball becomes dead, and the dismissed batter must leave the field of play for the rest of their team's innings, to be replaced by a team-mate. A team's innings ends if ten of the eleven team members are dismissed. Players bat in pairs so, when only one batter remains who can be not out, it is not possible for the team to bat any longer. This is known as dismissing or bowling out the batting team, who are said to be all out.
Rohit Gurunath Sharma is an Indian international cricketer who currently plays for and captains the India national cricket team in test and One Day International (ODI) matches. He formerly captained the team in Twenty20 International (T20I) matches from November 2021 until his retirement after India’s win in 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The right-handed batsman, who is considered as one of the best batsmen of his generation and one of the greatest opening batters of all time, is known for his timing, elegance, six-hitting abilities and leadership skills.
Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja is an Indian international cricketer who represents the Indian national cricket team in ODI and Test formats. He is an all-rounder, who bats left-handed and bowls left-arm orthodox spin. He is regarded as one of the best all-rounders of his generation, becoming the fifth Indian and fifth-fastest player to score 2,000 runs and take 200 wickets in Test cricket in 2021. Jadeja was the leading wicket-taker in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy and received the man of the match award as a member of the final-winning team. Later in his career, he was also a part of the team which won the 2024 T20 World Cup, after which he announced his retirement from the T20Is. He represents Saurashtra in first-class cricket and has captained the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. As of August 2023, Ravindra Jadeja is the 7th highest ODI wicket taker for India with 220 wickets.
At the end of each ICC Cricket World Cup final tournament, several awards are presented to the players and teams which have distinguished themselves in various aspects of the game.
Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer who currently plays Test cricket and ODI cricket for India. Kohli is a former T20I player and a former captain of the Indian national cricket team. He is a right-handed batsman and an occasional unorthodox right arm quick bowler. He currently represents Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and Delhi in domestic cricket. He holds the record as the highest run-scorer in IPL, ranks third in T20I, third in ODI, and stands as the fourth-highest in international cricket. He also holds the record for scoring the most centuries in ODI cricket and stands second in the list of most international centuries scored. Hence, Kohli is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time and the modern era. Kohli was a key member of the Indian team that won the 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy and 2024 T20 World Cup and captained India to win the ICC Test mace three consecutive times in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Alyssa Jean Healy is an Australian cricketer who plays and captains the Australian women's national team. She also plays for New South Wales in domestic cricket, as well as the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL and captains the UP Warriorz in Women's Premier League in India. She made her international debut in February 2010.
Mohammad Amir is a Pakistani cricketer who is playing for the Pakistan national cricket team. He is a left-arm fast bowler and a left handed batsman. He retired from international cricket in 2020 aged 28 but on 24 March 2024 he took his retirement back and made himself available for the Pakistan cricket team. He was a member of the Pakistan team that won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 and 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
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) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. Two players from the batting team stand in front of either wicket holding bats, with one player from the fielding team bowling the ball towards 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 exchange. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches or crosses the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally.
The 2011 Cricket World Cup Final was the final match of the 2011 Men's Cricket World Cup, the 10th edition of ICC's championship of One Day International (ODI) cricket. The match was played between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Saturday 2 April 2011. It was the first time that two Asian teams had faced each other in an ODI World Cup final. India won the match by six wickets—its second World Cup win after the 1983 tournament—and became the third team to have won the title more than once, after Australia and the West Indies. India became the first country to win the Cricket World Cup in their own country.
The 2011–12 edition of the Commonwealth Bank Series was a One Day International cricket tournament which was held in Australia. It was a tri-nation series between Australia, India, and Sri Lanka. This was the first time Australia had hosted a tri-series since 2007–08.
The 2014 Asia Cup was the twelfth edition of the Asia Cup cricket tournament. The tournament was held in Bangladesh from 25 February to 8 March 2014. Pakistan were the defending champions, having won the previous tournament. The tournament included the four Asian test-playing nations, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; and ICC Asian Associate member Afghanistan. This was the first 50-over tournament in which Afghanistan took part. Ten league matches were played along with the final. The title sponsors of the tournament were Arise India and it was powered by Cycle Agarbathis. Sri Lanka Beat Pakistan in the final to become Asia Cup champions for the fifth time.
The South African cricket team toured India from 29 September to 7 December 2015. The tour consisted of four Test matches, five One Day International (ODI) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. This was the first time a four-match Test series between the two nations has been played in India and the first time that South Africa played a T20I against India in India. India won the Test series while South Africa won both the ODI and T20I series.
Rishabh Rajendra Pant is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian cricket team as a wicket-keeper batter. Having played all formats for India, he is best known for his consistency to score runs in Test cricket. Pant plays for Delhi in domestic cricket and captains Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. He was the vice-captain of the India U-19 team that was runner-up at the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He was a member of the Indian team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup.