Reference at the time of writing this article: ICC Men’s Twenty 20 World Cup 2022 Playing Conditions. ICC Men’s T20I Playing Conditions 2022, ICC Women’s T20I Playing Conditions 2022, All the major domestic and franchise cricket leagues playing conditions.
In T20I cricket, where the fielding side is scheduled to bowl a maximum of 20 overs in their innings, there is a limit on the number of overs each bowler can bowl. Test cricket has no restrictions on the number of overs any bowler can bowl. The ODIs follow the ‘One Fifth’ rule. T20Is also follow the ‘One Fifth’ rule, but they also follow the ‘Max Two’ rule.
Let us see what exactly are ‘One Fifth’ and ‘Max Two’ rules in T20Is.
‘One Fifth’ rule – When an innings is scheduled anywhere between 10 overs to 20 overs, no bowler is permitted to bowl more than ‘One Fifth (1/5th) of the scheduled or revised overs. If the overs are not divisible by 5, then one bowler each is permitted to bowl one extra over to cover the remainder.
Set -1: Overs completely divisible by 5
1: 20 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 20/5 = 4 each; Bowling Limit – 4,4,4,4,4;
2: 15 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 15/5 = 3 each; Bowling Limit – 3,3,3,3,3;
3: 10 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 10/5 = 2 each; Bowling Limit – 2,2,2,2,2;
Set -2: Overs not completely divisible by 5
1: 11 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 11/5 = 2 each + 1 over as remainder;
In this case, 1 bowler is permitted to bowl 1 additional over out of 1 remainder over;
Bowling Limit – 3,2,2,2,2;
2: 12 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 12/5 = 2 each+ 2 overs as remainder;
In this case, 2 bowlers are permitted to bowl 1 additional over each out of 2 remainder overs;
Bowling Limit – 3,3,2,2,2;
3: 13 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 13/5 = 2 each + 3 overs as remainder;
In this case, 3 bowlers are permitted to bowl 1 additional over each out of 3 remainder overs;
Bowling Limit – 3,3,3,2,2;
4: 14 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 14/5 = 2 each + 4 overs as remainder;
In this case, 4 bowlers are permitted to bowl 1 additional over each out of 4 remainder overs;
Bowling Limit – 3,3,3,3,2;
5: 16 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 16/5 = 3 each + 1 over as remainder;
In this case, 1 bowler is permitted to bowl 1 additional over out of 1 remainder over;
Bowling Limit – 4,3,3,3,3;
6: 17 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 17/5 = 3 each+ 2 overs as remainder;
In this case, 2 bowlers are permitted to bowl 1 additional over each out of 2 remainder overs;
Bowling Limit – 4,4,3,3,3;
7: 18 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 18/5 = 3 each + 3 overs as remainder;
In this case, 3 bowlers are permitted to bowl 1 additional over each out of 3 remainder overs;
Bowling Limit – 4,4,4,3,3;
8: 19 overs – By applying 1/5th Rule – 19/5 = 3 each + 4 overs as remainder;
In this case, 4 bowlers are permitted to bowl 1 additional over each out of 4 remainder overs;
Bowling Limit – 4,4,4,4,3;
‘Max Two’ rule – When an innings is scheduled anywhere between 5 overs to 9 overs, the bowling limit will be computed using the ‘Max Two’ rule and not the ‘One Fifth’ rule. Under this rule, a maximum of 2 overs can be bowled by any bowler and it is not mandatory to distribute the overs to 5 bowlers.
Set -3: Overs 5 to 9
1: 5 overs – By applying Max Two rule – Bowling Limit – 2,2,1;
2: 6 overs – By applying Max Two rule – Bowling Limit – 2,2,2;
3: 7 overs – By applying Max Two rule – Bowling Limit – 2,2,2,1;
4: 8 overs – By applying Max Two rule – Bowling Limit – 2,2,2,2;
5: 9 overs – By applying Max Two rule – Bowling Limit – 2,2,2,2,1;