Run Out in Cricket Explained
How a run out works in cricket: when a batter is out, who gets the credit, what happens at the stumps, the distinction from a stumping, and famous run outs in cricket history.
What is a run out?
A run out occurs when a fielder breaks the wicket — either with the ball or with the hand or arm while holding the ball — while a batter is outside their crease (not grounded behind the popping crease) and attempting a run. A run out can dismiss either the striker or the non-striker. It is the only dismissal that does not require the ball to reach the bowler's end — it happens when a batter fails to make their ground during the act of running between the wickets.
How is a run out appealed and awarded?
A run out requires an appeal to the umpire ('How's that?'). The on-field umpire adjudicates whether the batter was in their crease when the bail was dislodged or the stumps were broken. In most professional matches, close run-out calls are reviewed by the third umpire using slow-motion camera replays — the decision hinges on whether any part of the bat or body was grounded behind the popping crease at the instant the wicket was broken.
Run out vs stumping — what's the difference?
A stumping is specifically a dismissal executed by the wicketkeeper, where the keeper takes the ball and breaks the stumps while the batter is out of their crease — but the batter must be stepping out to play a shot, not attempting a run. A run out can be executed by any fielder, and the batter must be attempting a run (or in the case of the non-striker, backing up). The clearest distinction: if a batter comes down the pitch to drive and misses, and the wicketkeeper breaks the stumps, it is a stumping. If the batter had played the ball and was running, and any fielder breaks the stumps, it is a run out.
The Mankad — run out at the non-striker's end
A Mankad (formally called 'run out, non-striker's end under Law 38.3') occurs when the bowler, in their delivery stride, breaks the stumps at the non-striker's end because the non-striker is outside their crease before the ball is delivered. Named after Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad who used it in 1947–48, the dismissal was controversial for decades but was formally reclassified from 'unfair play' to a legitimate run out by the MCC in 2022. It is no longer required that the bowler warn the non-striker first.
Frequently asked questions
Does the bowler get credit for a run out wicket?
No. A run out is a collective fielding dismissal — the credit goes to the fielder(s) who executed it. The bowler's wicket tally is unchanged by a run out.
What if both batters are in the same crease during a run out?
If both batters end up in the same crease during a run out attempt, the fielding side may break either wicket. The batter who was running — who left their original crease — is the one out. If it is unclear, the umpire rules based on who was originally at each end and who was attempting the run.