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Why can a cricket captain declare an innings closed?
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Jonny Bairstow of England batting during a semifinal match against Australia at the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
In cricket, a captain may choose to declare an innings closed before all 10 batsmen have been dismissed primarily for strategic reasons related to the match's duration and the objective of securing a win.1
A captain typically makes this decision when their team has accumulated a sufficiently large lead in runs. By declaring, the captain aims to ensure there is enough time remaining in the match for their own team to bowl out the opposing side and win, rather than allowing the innings to continue so long that the game ends in a draw due to time constraints.1
In addition to a captain's declaration, an innings is also completed when 10 batsmen are dismissed or, in limited-overs matches, when the allotted number of overs expires.1