In India, cricket is a hugely popular sport. Cricket is considered a religion in India, according to the sports world. The fact that Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian cricket team, is the most followed Indian on Instagram demonstrates that cricket is one of the most hotly debated topics in the country. You may believe that you know everything there is to know about cricket. Your understanding, however, may not be true in the actual sense, since there are numerous intricate and loosened regulations that non-specialists may not be aware of.
Cricket is a game with a lot of regulations. There are certain basic guidelines that are followed on a regular basis. However, there are a few unknown rules in the game that aren’t used on a regular basis. These are regulations that have never been heard of before, and some fans may be startled to learn about them.
1.The long-stop field
Few people are familiar with cricket’s long-stop fielding posture. It’s a rule that permits teams to deploy a fielder immediately behind the wicket-keeper, heading for the boundary. With the introduction of T20 cricket in recent years, we’ve seen several batsmen score their runs in the empty space behind the keeper. No captain, however, assigns a fielder to the long-stop position. This is mostly due to the fact that another open region on the field would be exposed, making it less hazardous for the batter to target.
2.The shadow law
In cricket, if a fielder’s body forms a shadow on the pitch surrounding a batsman, the shade shall not move until the batsman has played at the ball, according to the shadow law. This basically implies that the fielder must maintain the same position until the ball reaches the hitter. This is intriguing since few people would have considered this possibility. As a result, among cricket enthusiasts, this regulation is one of the lesser-known rules.
3.Forfeiture in tests
Teams can forfeit one inning of a Test match under this rule. Teams might employ this option if there is a washout and the game is headed for a tie. This is because there is a greater probability of a positive outcome, and the winning side will receive more points. Of course, only if both captains are on the same page can this happen. A regulation like this can be beneficial, especially in the present WTC age. It had only been used once before. Hansie Cronje and Nasser Hussain chose this option in 2000.
4.Fielding with a cloth/cap/any other object
There is also a slew of lesser-known cricket regulations governing the game’s fielding. A player must not field a ball with any additional object, such as an extra piece of fabric or even his cap, according to one such regulation. Because practically no fielder performs it, everyone assumes it’s being done to keep the game’s spirit alive. However, in fact, it is a rigorous regulation that is strictly adhered to by the players.
5.Double-hit dismissal
“The striker is out Hit the ball twice if, while the ball is in play, it strikes any part of his/her person or is struck by his/her bat and, before the ball has been touched by a fielder, the striker wilfully strikes it again with his/her bat or person, other than a hand not holding the bat, except for the sole purpose of guarding his/her wicket.” according to law 34.1. Many times, we’ve seen a batsman control the ball after just touching it once. If the opponent does not agree, this might result in a “Double Hit” dismissal.
