# What Is an Over in Cricket?
Introduction
If you are new to cricket, you may often hear commentators mention an over, such as "10 overs completed" or "the bowler has one over remaining." An over is one of the basic units used to measure bowling in cricket.
Understanding overs helps you follow the score, estimate how much of an innings remains, and understand how bowlers are used during a match. Although an over usually consists of six balls, not every delivery counts toward that total.
This guide explains what an over means, how it works, and why it matters in different cricket formats.
What Is an Over in Cricket?
An **over in cricket is a set of six valid deliveries bowled by one bowler from one end of the pitch**.
Once the bowler completes six valid deliveries, the over ends. Play then continues from the opposite end, and another bowler delivers the next over. Under standard cricket rules, the same bowler cannot bowl two consecutive overs.
The key point is that an over counts legal deliveries, not simply every ball physically bowled. Wides and no-balls generally do not count toward the six-ball requirement, so an over can contain more than six actual deliveries.
How Many Balls Are in an Over?
A standard over contains six valid deliveries.
For example, if a bowler delivers six legal balls without a wide or no-ball, the over is complete.
However, if the bowler delivers a wide or a no-ball, that delivery usually does not count as one of the six valid balls. The bowler must continue until six valid deliveries have been completed, unless the innings or over ends under a special rule.
| Delivery type | Counts toward six legal balls? |
|---|---|
| Legal delivery | Yes |
| Wide | No |
| No-ball | No |
| Legal delivery resulting in a wicket | Yes, subject to the dismissal rules |
A wicket does not automatically end an over. If a batter is dismissed on a legal delivery, the next delivery is still required unless the over or innings ends for another reason.
What Happens When a Bowler Delivers a Wide?
A wide is called when the ball is too far from the batter to be considered a fair delivery under the applicable rules, taking the batter's position and movement into account.
A wide normally gives the batting side one extra run, and the delivery does not count toward the six legal balls. Additional runs may be scored if the batters run or the ball reaches the boundary, depending on the circumstances.
For example, if a bowler delivers five legal balls and then bowls a wide, the over still requires one more legal delivery after the wide.
What Happens When a Bowler Delivers a No-Ball?
A no-ball is called for certain illegal deliveries, such as some forms of overstepping the bowling crease or other infringements defined by the Laws of Cricket.
A no-ball normally gives the batting side an extra run, and the delivery does not count toward the six legal balls. Depending on the type of no-ball and the competition's playing conditions, the batting side may also receive a free hit on the next delivery in limited-overs cricket.
For example, if a bowler has completed four legal deliveries and then bowls a no-ball, two more legal deliveries are generally needed to complete the over.
How Are Overs Written on a Cricket Scoreboard?
Cricket scoreboards commonly display overs in a format such as `12.4`.
This means **12 completed overs and 4 legal balls in the current over**. It does not mean 12.4 decimal overs.
Because each over contains six legal deliveries, `12.4` represents 76 legal deliveries in total:
- 12 completed overs = 72 legal balls.
- 4 additional legal balls = 4 balls.
- Total = 76 legal balls.
Similarly, `15.0` means 15 complete overs, or 90 legal deliveries.
Remember that decimal arithmetic does not apply directly to the displayed over notation. For example, `10.5` means 10 overs and 5 balls, not 10.5 overs in decimal form.
How Many Overs Are There in Different Cricket Formats?
The number of overs allowed in an innings depends on the format.
### Test Cricket
Test cricket is not normally limited to a fixed number of overs per innings. Instead, a team generally bats until it is dismissed, declares, or the innings ends under the match rules. Minimum over rates apply to the fielding side, but they do not impose a fixed innings limit.
### One Day International (ODI) Cricket
In a standard men's ODI, each team is normally allowed up to 50 overs, subject to playing conditions and any reduction for interruptions.
### Twenty20 (T20) Cricket
In a standard T20 match, each team is normally allowed up to 20 overs. The actual number may be reduced if the match is shortened.
Other competitions, including domestic leagues and junior cricket, may use different limits.
Why Are Overs Important in Cricket?
Overs help players, officials, and spectators understand the progress of a match.
**Managing the innings:** Batters must balance scoring runs with keeping wickets in hand as the available overs decrease.
**Planning bowling changes:** Teams distribute overs among their bowlers according to skill, conditions, and match strategy.
**Understanding run rate:** Run rate measures the average number of runs scored per over. It is an important statistic in limited-overs cricket.
**Following match targets:** In a chase, the number of overs remaining helps determine how quickly the batting side must score.
What Is Run Rate Per Over?
Run rate is calculated by dividing the runs scored by the number of overs completed, with partial overs converted into legal balls.
For example, suppose a team scores 60 runs in 10 completed overs.
Run rate = 60 ÷ 10 = 6 runs per over.
If a team scores 45 runs in 7 overs and 3 legal balls, it has faced 45 legal balls in total. That equals 7.5 overs in decimal form for calculation purposes, so its run rate is 45 ÷ 7.5 = 6 runs per over.
This distinction is important because scoreboards display overs using the number of legal balls in the current over, while run-rate calculations use the actual number of balls faced.
Frequently Asked Questions
### 1. How many legal balls are in one cricket over?
A standard over contains six legal deliveries.
### 2. Does a wide count as a ball in an over?
No. A wide normally does not count toward the six legal deliveries required to complete an over.
### 3. Does a no-ball count as one of the six balls?
No. A no-ball generally does not count toward the six legal deliveries.
### 4. Can a bowler bowl two overs in a row?
Under standard cricket rules, a bowler cannot bowl two consecutive overs. The next over is bowled from the opposite end by another eligible bowler.
### 5. What does 8.3 overs mean?
It means eight completed overs and three legal deliveries in the current over, for a total of 51 legal balls.
### 6. How many overs are in a T20 innings?
A standard T20 innings allows up to 20 overs, although the number may be reduced under the competition's playing conditions.
### 7. How many overs are in an ODI innings?
A standard men's ODI innings allows up to 50 overs, subject to match conditions and interruptions.
Conclusion
An over is a set of six legal deliveries bowled by one bowler from one end of the pitch. Wides and no-balls generally do not count toward the six-ball total, which means an over can contain more than six actual deliveries.
Once you understand how overs work, cricket scoreboards, run rates, bowling changes, and limited-overs match strategies become much easier to follow. It is one of the most useful basics for anyone learning the game.