Cricket Overs — How an Over Works, Who Bowls, and Over Limits by Format
What an over is in cricket: six legal deliveries, over limits in Test, ODI and T20I, who can bowl how many overs, and the rules for changing ends.
What Is an Over?
An over consists of six legal deliveries bowled from one end of the pitch by the same bowler. After each over, the fielding captain nominates a different bowler to bowl from the opposite end. Wides and no-balls do not count as part of the six legal deliveries — they must be rebowled, extending the over. A maiden over is one in which no runs are scored.
Over Limits by Format
In T20 Internationals, each team faces 20 overs and no single bowler may bowl more than 4. In ODIs (50 overs per side), no bowler may bowl more than 10. In Test cricket, there is no overall innings over limit — the innings continues until 10 wickets fall or a declaration is made — and no limit on the number of overs one bowler may bowl in a day (though fatigue and injury are natural practical constraints).
Changing Ends
The same bowler cannot bowl two consecutive overs. Captains alternate which end their bowlers bowl from — both to create tactical variety for the batter and to avoid one bowler monopolising the attack. A right-arm over-the-wicket bowler bowling from one end becomes a different threat from the other end, potentially from around the wicket.
The Last Over and Pressure
In limited-overs cricket the final over carries disproportionate psychological and tactical weight. Captains save their best death bowlers (usually those with the lowest economy rate in overs 16–20) for the last two or three overs. A bowler given the final over in a close T20I is under immense pressure to defend 10–15 runs against aggressive batting.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if a bowler is injured mid-over?
If a bowler cannot complete an over due to injury, another bowler completes the remaining deliveries. That same bowler cannot complete the over themselves — a different bowler must. The interruption does not affect the count of legal deliveries.
Can a wicketkeeper bowl?
Yes. Any player on the fielding team can bowl — including the wicketkeeper. If the keeper bowls, another fielder must take the gloves for that over. In practice, wicketkeepers bowling is extremely rare in professional cricket.
What is a 'bowlers' over' vs a 'batter's over'?
Informal commentary terms. A 'bowlers' over' is one in which the bowling side dominates — few runs, possibly a wicket. A 'batter's over' is one the batting team exploits heavily with runs. These are descriptive, not official terms.