Continue the same score
Imagine a fictional full-length men’s T20 I innings at 48/1 after six overs. The initial power play ends under the ordinary full-innings conditions, but the score remains 48/1. The seventh over continues the same batting innings; there is no fresh ten-wicket allowance.
If the next over produces seven runs without a wicket, the score becomes 55/1 after seven overs. Do not describe the seven runs as the opening total of a new innings merely because a broadcast graphic changes its field-restriction label.
Read the applicable restriction
The ICC men’s T20 I conditions effective October 2026 place the ordinary power play in the first six overs, allowing only two fielders outside the defined restriction area. The non-power play provision permits up to five outside. This describes where fielders may be positioned, not a guarantee that a boundary will be scored or a specific defensive arrangement will be chosen.
A captain can still place fewer than the maximum outside. A camera showing only the bowler and batter cannot reveal the entire field, so use the field map or a wide shot before claiming the positions violate the restriction.
Reduced innings need their own power play length
The same conditions provide a table for reduced-over innings. Therefore, six overs is not the correct power play duration for every rain-shortened T20 I. A ten-over innings, for example, has a three-over power play under that table. The official revised innings information determines which case applies.
Do not carry this example automatically into ODI cricket, a domestic competition or another format’s branded field-restriction system. Identify the competition and conditions first.
For a useful replay note, write the innings number, total allocated overs, applicable power play length and score when it ends. That makes the tactical transition visible while keeping the match’s scoring continuity intact. A commentary phrase about the start of the middle overs then has a clear meaning: a new phase of the same innings, rather than a new team taking its turn to bat.
The wickets already lost continue to limit the batting side’s remaining resources.
Related questions
Does the score reset after the power play?
No. The field-restriction phase changes while the same innings continues.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- MCC 2026 Laws of Cricket — Law13 innings identity; specific field restrictions drawn from cited ICCconditions
- ICC current playing conditions — Competition and format conditions can modify the Laws
- ICC men’s T20 I conditions October 2026 — Clause28.7 full and reduced-innings powerplay restrictions
