Twenty20 (T20) cricket transformed the game when it was introduced in 2003. While its basic rules mirror those of the longer versions of the sport, it limits each innings to 20 overs per side (1 over consists of 6 consecutive legal deliveries, the maximum number allowed from a single bowler before a mandatory change of bowler must be made). A single player can bowl a maximum of 4 overs in a match. The T20 format is much shorter compared with the One Day International format (50 overs a side) or five-day Test format (90 overs a day), and the new version significantly revolutionized cricket, attracted new and younger audiences to the sport, and increased its commercial appeal and potential. T20 quickly became the most popular form of cricket, especially with the launch of franchise competitions such as the Indian Premier League, despite initial concerns from traditionalists that it might threaten longer forms of the game such as Test cricket. The T20 Men’s World Cup, first held in 2007 with 12 participating teams, has expanded multiple times, with 20 teams each competing in the 2024 and 2026 editions.
T20 cricket also had a significant effect on how the game is played. Players mastered new skills demanded by the shorter, faster-paced version of the sport and improved their fielding, throwing, and fitness. Fielding restrictions and shorter boundaries encouraged teams to develop specialized techniques and strategies built around power hitting, off-pace bowling, and unconventional field setting.