In cricket, a dismissal in simple words means getting a batsman out, or putting an end to his innings or his stay on the crease. Also called being out, a dismissal is the most important part of any format of cricket. Upon being dismissed, the ball becomes dead and the batsmen has to walk back to the pavilion.
If all the 11 batsmen of the team are dismissed, the team innings comes to an end. This is known as bowled out or all out. There are a total of 11 types of out in cricket. Check them out here.
Types of out in cricket: 10 Types
| Sr no | Type of out | Description |
| 1 | Caught | When the ball, after being hit by the batsman, is caught by the fielder |
| 2 | Bowled | When the ball hits the stumps behind the batsman |
| 3 | Leg Before Wicket | When the ball strikes any part of the batsman, without first touching the, and if the umpire thinks the ball would have hit the wicket but for this interception |
| 4 | Stumped | When the wicketkeeper puts down the wicket with the ball when the striker steps in front of the crease to play the ball, leaving no part of his body or the bat outside the popping crease |
| 5 | Run-out | When the batsman is outside the popping crease and the stumps nearest to him are put down while the ball is in play |
| 6 | Obstructing the field | When batsman obstructs or distracts the fielding side by words or action |
| 7 | Hit Wicket | When the batsman dislodges his own stumps with his body or bat, while hitting a shot or taking a run |
| 8 | Timed Out | When an incoming batsman takes more than three minutes to be ready to face the next ball |
| 9 | Hit the ball twice | When the batsman hits the ball twice – first time lawfully and second time intentionally |
| 10 | Retired out | When the batsman leaves the field without the Umpire’s consent for reasons other than injury or illness |
Caught
This is one of the most common types of out in cricket, and also one of the most easily understood. If the ball, after being hit by the bat, is caught by a fielder before touching the ground, the batsman is given an out. Additionally, “Caught behind” is used when the ball is caught by the wicket-keeper, or in the slips. “Caught and bowled” is when the player who bowled the ball also takes the catch.
Bowled
A batsman is bowled if a bowler’s legitimate delivery hits the stumps behind the batsman. The ball can either strike the stumps directly, or deflect off the bat or body of the batsman. But if the ball is touched by any other player or umpire before hitting the wicket, the batsman will not be given an out.
Leg before wicket (lbw)
This type of dismissal has often been a little confusing. If a legitimate delivery strikes any part of the batsman without first touching the batsman’s bat or glove, and, in the umpire’s opinion, the ball would have hit the stumps but for this interception, the batsman is out LBW. However, there are also other laws too around the LBW, which have kept changing with time.
Run-out
A batsman is run-out if he fails to reach the popping crease before his stumps are put down by a fielder while the ball is in play. This usually happens while the batsmen are running between the wickets to take singles. Even if the batsman’s bat is on the line, he will be given an out. Some of these run-out calls are difficult for the on-field umpires to judge, which is when the Decision Review System is used.
Stumped
If the striker steps in front of the crease to play the ball, leaving no part of his body behind the crease, the wicket-keeper gets a chance to put down the wicket with the ball. If the keeper is able to dislodge the bails while the batsman is out of the crease, the batsman is stumped. A stumping is most likely to be effected off slow bowling.
Retired out
Retired Out is when the batsman leaves the field without the umpire’s consent for reasons other than injury or illness. Unlike in retired hurt, a batsman cannot return to the crease to finish his innings after deciding to retire himself out. In IPL 2022, Ravichandran Ashwin became the first batsman to be retired out in the Indian T20 tournament.
Hit the ball twice
If the batsman hits the ball more than once, he is given an out. If he intentionally tries to hit the ball second time, using the bat or any other part of his body, the dismissal is called ‘hit the ball twice.’ No batsman has been out hitting the ball twice in Test cricket.
Hit-wicket
One of the rarest forms of dismissal is the hit-wicket, in which the batsman ends up dislodges his own stumps with his body or bat, while in the process of hitting a shot. Hit-wicket is also applicable if the stumps are dislodged by any of the batsman’s equipment. During the 2007 England vs West Indies Test match at Old Trafford; a bouncer from Dwayne Bravo hit Kevin Pietersen in the head and his helmet hit the stumps, thus resulting in hit-wicket.
Obstructing the field
If the batsman obstructs the field or distracts the fielding side, he is given an out. Only one player has ever been out obstructing the field in a Test match – Len Hutton of England playing against South Africa at The Oval in 1951. Hutton knocked a ball away from his stumps to prevent South African wicket-keeper Russell Endean from taking a catch. In ODI cricket, eight batsmen have been given out for obstructing the field.
Timed out
When an incoming batsman takes more than three minutes to be ready to face the next ball, he it out timed-out. Similarly, if an unbeaten batsman is not ready to face the delivery after a break – innings break or any other break – he can also be given out timed out. So far, no batsman in Test cricket history has been given timed-out. In first-class cricket, however, we have seen five instances of the same.
FAQS
What is run-out in cricket?
When the batsman is outside the popping crease and the stumps nearest to him are put down while the ball is in play, he is given a run-out.
How many ways are there of getting out in cricket?
There are ten main ways of getting out in cricket – caught, bowled, leg before wicket, run-out, stumped, hit the ball twice, obstructing the field, hit-wicket, retired out and timed out
What is time-out?
Timed out is when an incoming batsman takes more than three minutes to be ready to face the next ball
