The ICC Twenty20 World Championship is the international championship of Twenty20 cricket. The event kicked off on September 11 at Wanderers Johannesburg with South Africa playing West Indies. It will end on September 24 also at the Wanderers. The championship is organised by the sport’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and is contested by all ten Test-playing nations plus qualifiers. The tournament will consist of 12 teams. The championship will be held around every two years.

Rules

Each side will bat for twenty overs. The match lasts three hours with 20 minute break between innings. Minimum of five overs a side is needed to constitute a match. In the first six overs, only two fielders can be placed outside the 30-yard circle. For the remaining 14 overs, not more than five fielders will be outside the circle. Bowlers can send down a maximum of four overs each.

Innovations

After a no-ball, the next delivery will be a free hit for the facing batsman. He cannot be dismissed off the free hit, except being run out. No change in field placement is allowed for the free hit. Cricket’s version of the penalty shoot-out will be applied if the semi-finals or finals are tied. Each team will nominate five bowlers who will take turns to hit the wickets at the other end. There will be no batsman facing. The team which achieves the maximum strikes will win the match.

Hosts

South Africa hosted the first edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007. India defeated Pakistan to lift the trophy. The next edition – T20 World Cup 2009 – was hosted by England and won by Pakistan. The third edition was held in 2010 and won by England. It was their first and only international victory to date. The fourth edition T20 World Cup 2012 was hosted by Sri Lanka and won by West Indies. The fifth edition – T20 World Cup 2014 – was hosted by Bangladesh and won by Sri Lanka. West Indies won the six edition of the tournament held in 2016. The next T20 World Cup will be held in 2020 in Australia.