Cricket Powerplay Rules Explained: ODI, T20, and The Hundred
A complete guide to powerplay rules in cricket — mandatory, batting, and bowling powerplays in ODIs and T20s, fielding restrictions, and how teams use them strategically.
What Is a Powerplay in Cricket?
A powerplay is a designated phase of a limited-overs innings during which fielding restrictions apply. During a powerplay, the fielding team can only place a limited number of fielders outside a 30-yard inner circle drawn around the pitch. These restrictions force fielders closer to the bat, creating more scoring opportunities for batters and making powerplays the highest-scoring phases of the innings if wickets are preserved.
ODI Powerplay Rules
In One Day Internationals (50 overs per side), there are three powerplay phases: Powerplay 1 (overs 1-10): mandatory, only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Powerplay 2 (overs 11-40): maximum four fielders outside the circle. Powerplay 3 (overs 41-50): maximum five fielders outside the circle. Powerplay 1 is the most restrictive — two outfielders only — which is why it is typically the most productive scoring phase for batters, provided they stay in.
T20 Powerplay Rules
In T20 Internationals (20 overs per side), there is a single mandatory powerplay covering the first six overs. During these six overs, only two fielders are permitted outside the 30-yard circle. Teams who bat first typically aim to maximise their powerplay by sending in aggressive openers. Teams batting second monitor the required run rate and use the powerplay to either rebuild or accelerate depending on the match situation.
The Hundred Powerplay
The Hundred (100 balls per side) uses a powerplay covering the first 25 balls. During these 25 balls, only two fielders can be placed outside the 30-yard circle — matching the T20 restriction. Given that 25 balls represent 25% of the total innings in The Hundred, the powerplay is proportionally significant and often determines the trajectory of the whole innings.
Strategic Use of Powerplays
Teams approach powerplays with different philosophies. Aggressive teams send their most powerful openers to attack the field restrictions from ball one. Cautious teams protect early wickets, accepting a slower powerplay rate to preserve the wickets that enable a final-over blitz. Bowlers during powerplays typically opt for fuller lengths — yorkers and full-pitched deliveries — to minimise boundary opportunities, since bowlers benefit less from the field restrictions than batters do.
Frequently asked questions
How many fielders can be outside the circle during a powerplay?
During most powerplay phases (ODI PP1, T20 PP, The Hundred PP), only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. In the ODI middle and death phases, up to four or five are permitted.
What happens if a fielder is outside the circle illegally?
If more than the permitted number of fielders are outside the 30-yard circle, the umpire calls a no-ball — penalising the fielding team with an extra delivery and a free hit for the batter.
Is there a batting powerplay in ODIs anymore?
The optional batting and bowling powerplays (PP2 and PP3) that allowed teams to choose when to activate additional restrictions were used in the mid-2000s to early 2010s but have since been removed from the standard ODI format.