KhelKing guide to cricket powerplay rules and overs

The overs and the fielding limit both depend on the format. Outside the powerplay a T20 side can put five fielders in the deep, so the first six overs are when the gaps are biggest.

The 30-yard circle is the inner fielding ring, two semicircles drawn 30 yards from the middle stump at each end and joined by straight lines. The umpires count fielders at the moment the bowler delivers. If too many are outside, the square-leg umpire calls a no-ball, the batting side gets an extra run and the next ball is a free hit.

Yes. In T20 internationals and the IPL, a side that falls behind the over rate is penalised during the match. For every over still to be bowled after the cut-off time, it may keep one fewer fielder outside the circle, so the usual five drops to four. A slow side can end up bowling the death overs with an extra gap in the deep, which pushes session lines up.

When rain cuts the overs before an innings starts, the powerplay is shortened in proportion, using the table in that competition's playing conditions. A 10-over T20 innings gets a much shorter powerplay than six overs, and the figure can include part of an over. The umpires confirm it and the scoreboard normally shows it.

• Check the announced powerplay length after any delay, as well as the new number of overs.
• In ODIs all three powerplays are cut down together, so the first one is shorter too.
• On KhelKing, a session is void if the overs are reduced after that market opened, so a rain delay can void a powerplay bet you placed earlier.

With only two fielders allowed in the deep, a mistimed shot over the infield often goes for four instead of being caught on the rope. Openers try to cash in on the hard new ball before the field spreads. The bowling side hunts early wickets, often with swing or a spinner who turns it away from the bat. A good powerplay sets up the innings, and a poor one can leave a team chasing the game for ten overs. That's why the powerplay total is one of the first numbers bettors check.

In a T20 or IPL game, the 6-over session is the powerplay market: a bet on the batting side's runs at the end of over 6. You see a runs line and bet Yes if you think the team reaches it or No if you think it falls short. The bet settles when the sixth over ends, whatever happens in the rest of the match.

• In an ODI, the closest market is usually the 10-over session, which covers the first powerplay.
• Settlement uses the score at the end of the over, including extras and penalty runs.
• Which sessions open depends on the match and the format.

Here's a worked example at even money with a line of 54. The numbers are for illustration, so read the line on your own slip before you confirm.

The line starts from how a typical powerplay goes at that ground. Any edge comes from knowing why this one might be different.

• The pitch and venue. Some grounds give big early scores and others help the new ball.
• The opening pair. Two attacking openers justify a higher line than an anchor and a hitter.
• Who bowls the first six overs, especially a swing bowler or a spinner known for early wickets.
• Dew, cloud cover and the time of day, which all change how the new ball behaves.
• Live movement. Once the powerplay starts, the line moves after every boundary and wicket.

• Thinking every format has a 6-over powerplay. ODIs use 10 overs for the first and have three in all.
• Expecting a batting powerplay in ODIs. The ICC removed batting and bowling powerplays in 2015, and the overs are now fixed.
• Assuming a rain-shortened T20 keeps a 6-over powerplay. It's cut in proportion to the overs left.
• Treating the powerplay session as a bet on the match. You can win it on a team that loses.

The session betting guide covers every session market, and the run rate guide shows how to judge whether a line looks high or low.