Indoor cricket

Indoor cricket is a variant of and shares many basic concepts with cricket. The game is most often played between two teams each consisting of six or eight players.

Several versions of the game have been in existence since the late 1960s, whilst the game in its present form began to take shape in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The codified sport of indoor cricket is not to be confused with conventional cricket played indoors, or with other modified versions of cricket played indoors (see other forms of indoor cricket below).

In terms of the concept of the game indoor cricket is similar to cricket. Like its outdoor cousin, indoor cricket involves two batters, a bowler and a team of fielders. The bowler bowls the ball to the batters who must score runs. The team with the highest score at the end of the match wins. Despite these basic similarities, the game itself differs significantly from its traditional counterpart in several ways, most notably on the field of play and the means by which runs are obtained.

As a minimum, every male player, including the fielders have to wear an abdominal guard (box), with the person bowling the ball as an exception.
The batsman are required to use batting gloves, primarily for preventing the bat from slipping out of the hands. Indoor batting gloves are readily available at cricket stores, however some indoor cricket facilities also provide basic non-slip gloves that can be shared during the game.
Some players prefer to use hard ball batting gloves to prevent their hands from serious injury, as the indoor cricket ball can cause serious damage.

One optional security gadget is safety goggles to prevent any serious injury to the eyes. As the game speed is usually very fast and the play rigorous, it is a demanding cardiovascular activity. It is recommended to have a doctor checkup before taking up indoor cricket, especially in advance age and/or with any medical conditions. It's fielders right of way when a shot is played, so the batsman/fielder has to be watchful to avoid collisions.
Indoor cricket causes more sporting injuries than casual outdoor cricket, due to the proximity of the ball and fielders. Therefore, a sports/team insurance is important.
Some indoor sports facilities provide these insurances as part of the indoor tournaments.

The length of an indoor cricket pitch is the same as a conventional cricket pitch, and has 3 stumps at each end, but there the similarities end. The arena is completely enclosed by tight netting, a few metres from each side and end of the pitch. The playing surface is normally artificial grass matting.
Whilst the pitch is the same length, however, the batters do not have to run the entire length.
The striker's crease is in the regulation place in front of the stumps, but the non-striker's crease is only halfway down the pitch.

Indoor cricket is played between 2 teams of 8 players. Each player must bowl 2 six ball overs, and bat in a partnership for 4 overs.
A faster version of the game exists, where each side is reduced to 6 players and each innings lasts 12 overs instead of 16.