Indoor cricket is a thrilling twist on the classic game. Lasting around 90 minutes, it’s perfect for young players getting into cricket. Even seasoned players can enjoy it for practice when it’s too cold outside or just for a fun challenge. Give this article a read and try indoor cricket yourself!
Method 1: International Indoor Cricket
Step 1: Set Up the Playing Arena
Any spacious multipurpose sports hall works for indoor cricket. The ideal court size is 30m × 12m. The area should be fully enclosed by tight netting, about 4.5m high, with a few metres of space around the pitch. The pitch itself is the same as in regular cricket—22 yards (20.12m) long. One key difference? The non-striker’s crease is only 11m from the striker’s crease, meaning batsmen only need to run halfway for a single run. All other creases stay in their usual spots.
Step 2: Gather the Right Equipment
Since you can’t stick stumps into the ground indoors, use plastic spring-back stumps at each end—they pop back up when knocked over.
- Ball: A softer, modified cricket ball (yellow for visibility). For casual games, a tennis ball works too.
- Bat: Standard outdoor bats or lighter indoor ones are fine.
- Gloves: Lightweight cotton gloves (no outer padding).
- Optional: Team uniforms and protective gear like elbow guards.
Step 3: Form the Teams
Each team usually has 8 players. Everyone bowls 2 overs and bats in pairs for 4 overs, making 16 overs per innings. For a quicker game, reduce teams to 6 players (12 overs per innings). In 8-player matches, each over has 8 balls; in 6-a-side, it’s the usual 6 balls per over.
Step 4: Understand Scoring
Just like outdoor cricket, one team bats first, the other fields, then they switch. Runs come in two ways:
- Physical Runs: Both batsmen must cross (but only halfway, thanks to the shorter crease distance).
- Bonus Runs: Awarded when the ball hits the net:
- Zone A (front net): 0 bonus runs.
- Zone B (side net near striker): 1 run.
- Zone C (side net near bowler): 2 runs.
- Zone D (back net):
- Bounces first? 4 runs.
- Direct hit? 6 runs.
- Zone B/C to D: 3 runs.
Important: You must take at least 1 physical run for bonus runs to count. Example: 2 physical runs + 1 bonus run = 3 total runs.
Step 5: Fielding Positions
When fielding, split your team evenly—4 players in the front court (including the wicketkeeper) and 4 in the backcourt (including the bowler).
Step 6: Get the Batsmen Out
Dismissals work like outdoor cricket, with a few twists:
- Batsmen keep batting even after getting out (but each dismissal costs their team 5 runs).
- Ways to get out:
- Caught (even off the net, unless it’s a six).
- Mankad: Bowler “fake bowls” and breaks the stumps with the non-striker out of the crease.
- LBW (rare in indoor cricket).
Step 7: Win the Match
After both innings (16 or 12 overs each), the higher-scoring team wins. If tied, use the skin system: Compare each batting pair’s scores across innings. The team with more “skins” (better-performing pairs) wins.
Method 2: UK Variant
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This version is closer to outdoor cricket and uses 6 players per side.
Step 1: Equipment
- Same bats, uniforms, and protective gear as outdoor cricket.
- Hard ball and full 22-yard pitch (sometimes with a mat to mimic outdoor conditions).
- Collapsible spring-loaded stumps.
- Any suitable indoor sports hall works.
Step 2: Basics
Batting team scores runs; fielding team tries to stop them. Both teams bat, and the higher score wins—just like outdoor cricket.
Step 3: Bowling Rules
- Not all 6 players must bowl.
- Max 10 overs (6 balls each) per innings, bowled from one end.
- Each bowler can deliver up to 3 overs.
- Unique dismissal: Caught off the side wall (without touching floor/roof).
Step 4: Scoring Rules
Mostly like outdoor cricket, but with exceptions:
Retirement: Batsmen retire at 25 runs but can return if the team is all out early.
Six: Ball hits back wall directly (no floor/roof/wall contact).
Four: Ball hits back wall after bouncing.
One run: Ball hits side wall(s), even if it later reaches the back wall.
Dead ball: Direct roof hit (no runs or dismissals).
Physical runs: Each completed run counts as 2 (can stack with wall-hit runs but not boundaries).