Bilateral vs Triangular Series in Cricket: What Is the Difference?
International cricket is most commonly played as bilateral series — but triangular and multi-team events also exist. Learn the difference and why bilateral cricket dominates today.
What Is a Bilateral Series?
A bilateral series is a set of matches played between exactly two national cricket teams. One team hosts, the other tours. They play a fixed number of matches in one format (e.g. three ODIs, four T20Is, two Tests). The team that wins more matches in the series wins it. Bilateral cricket dominates the modern international calendar.
What Is a Triangular Series?
A triangular series involves three national teams playing a round-robin group stage — each team faces the other two multiple times — followed by a final between the top two teams. This format was common in the 1980s and 1990s for ODI cricket, often coinciding with a touring team alongside the host nation and a third invited team.
Famous Triangular Series
Australia hosted annual triangular ODI tournaments ('World Series Cricket' style tournaments) for many years in the 1980s and 1990s, typically featuring Australia, England or West Indies, and Pakistan or India. The 1992 World Cup was the first to feature all major cricketing nations in a true multi-team event.
Why Bilateral Dominates Today
- Simpler scheduling — the ICC's FTP is structured around bilateral fixtures between two boards
- Revenue sharing is simpler with only two participating boards
- Bilateral rivalries (India-Pakistan, Ashes, Border-Gavaskar) attract the most viewers
- Triangular series require more matches, creating scheduling pressure in an already congested calendar
- Major multi-team events (World Cups, Champions Trophy) serve the multi-nation format need
Frequently asked questions
Has cricket ever had a four-team bilateral tournament?
Yes — India has hosted multi-team tournaments like the Asia Cup (involving Asian nations) and the ICC Champions Trophy, which features eight teams. These are technically multi-lateral rather than bilateral or triangular.
Do bilateral series determine global rankings?
Yes. ICC rankings are updated based on bilateral series results, with points awarded based on the series outcome and the difference in rankings between the two teams. Better teams earn fewer points beating lower-ranked opponents.
Are triangular series more exciting than bilateral?
Arguably yes — three-way competition creates situations where two teams fight to qualify over the third, adding a strategic dimension absent in bilateral cricket. However, logistics and scheduling challenges have reduced their frequency.