Cricket is one of the most popular games in the world and is routinely contested between the teams to find the best winner among them. The origin of cricket has been for centuries and the game has globally spread to become one of the biggest sports around. People from all parts of the world, enjoy cricket as their play time and hobby with the professionals going on to make the big stage in the world of cricket.
If you’re living in the sub-continent then you’d be hardly away from the cricket fever as it has the highest fan following and a never-ending love for the game. The game is contested between two teams just like other sports and can last from 3 hours to a day or even 5 days depending on the type of cricket match.
We here take a look at the playing squad and the numbers of players that play in a cricket game down below. Read along.
Number of Cricket Players in a Match
A cricket match is contested between two teams where both teams have 11 players each on their side. The match is played on an oval-shaped ground where there are two sides, one bowling, and the other one batting. The batting side has two players on the pitch while the bowling or the fielding side has 11 players at a time on the ground.
The batter’s role is to score runs for the team while the bowling team plays to restrict the batting team to the lowest possible total that they can manage. Once the batting side’s turn is over the roles are switched and the batting side becomes the bowling team and the bowling team sends their two batsmen to score the runs required.
Number of Cricket Players in a Squad
As is the case with other sports like football, a squad size is larger than the 11 players. Since the game is played in series or tournaments, having just 11 players can be a disaster as injuries and other issues may occur. This is why you’ll see a cricket squad size larger than 11 players. However, the number of players that can play in the match is limited to 11 only.
When talking about the squads, it depends on the series and the type of tournament. Generally, there are 13-15 players in the playing squad out of which the final 11 are picked. A few other players are often kept on standby apart from the 15-man squad for any future injuries or issues as replacements for the side.
The Makings of an 11-man Cricket Team
Out of the 11 men playing on the ground, the squad is divided into different types of players as per their roles. There are specific batsmen, wicketkeepers, bowlers, and all-rounders who are fitted into the team for the matchday. The batsman is tasked with leading the run-scoring while the bowler’s main role is to bowl the required match length of overs. The all-rounders are often those who can bat and bowl both in the games as per the need while the wicketkeepers are the specialists who keep the wickets for the entirety of the game. This makes a proper team that can perform on all fronts and deliver a captivating performance.
Santosh Kumar is an editor at unfoldstuffs.com and a professional content writer. With years of experience he is passionate for creating engaging, informative and impactful topics.
