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The tenth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, 2026.

Twenty teams will be competing in 55 matches for the chance to win cricket’s most prestigious T20 trophy.

But cricket is a game with a list of commonly used terms and phrases that might confuse those new to it.

In this illustrated guide, Al Jazeera breaks down cricket lingo and helps you understand the game beloved by nearly two billion people.

What is the aim of the game?

Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams consisting of 11 players each.

The game is divided into two parts, known as innings.

In the first innings, following a coin toss, the first team bats while the other team bowls and fields.

The batting team should try to score the highest number of runs in the allotted time, while the bowling team has to try to prevent them from scoring.

The bowling team has dedicated bowlers, while the remaining players, spread across the ground, try to prevent the batters from scoring runs as well as catch the ball to get the batters out.

In the second innings, the bowling team now gets a turn to bat and try to score more runs than their opposition.

The team with the highest number of runs at the end of the day wins the game.

What does T20 mean?

There are three different formats in cricket, each with its own duration and rules.

Each format has its own defined set of “overs”.

An “over” consists of six deliveries by the bowler.

In a T20 match, which usually lasts three to four hours, each team is given 20 overs (120 balls) to score the most number of runs. This format of the game is designed to be shorter and faster-paced, which provides more excitement for spectators.

A One Day International (ODI) match typically lasts about seven to eight hours. Each team is given a total of 300 deliveries, which are divided into 50 overs, to score the most number of runs.

A Test match is the longest and oldest format of the game, played over a maximum of five days. It is considered a test of endurance and skill. Each day has a minimum of 90 overs. Both teams have two innings each.

The cricket field and pitch

Cricket is played in a large, oval-shaped field, typically about 150 metres (164 yards) in diameter at its widest point and surrounded by a boundary rope.

In the centre of the field is the pitch, a rectangular area about 20 metres long (22 yards) and 3 metres (3.3 yards) wide, where most of the action takes place.

At each end of the pitch are three wooden sticks known as wickets or stumps, with two bails atop them.

The batter stands in front of these wickets inside a specified area known as the batting crease. It is from there that he or she will strike the incoming ball from the bowler.

During the match, the batting team will actually have two players on the field, one on either end of the pitch, to take turns in hitting the ball.

The bowling team, meanwhile, will have all 11 players scattered throughout the field to minimise the number of runs their opponents can score.

Some of the most common positions are shown below:

How are runs scored?

The aim for the batters is to score as many runs as possible by hitting the ball in the gaps between the fielders or over the boundary rope.

To score a run, the batter needs to hit the ball and then, together with their batting partner, run to the opposite side of the pitch before the fielder returns the ball; otherwise, they can be run out.

A single run is scored when both batters safely complete one run, a two-run when they complete two runs, and so on.

If a batter hits the ball along the ground and it reaches the boundary rope, then four runs are awarded.

To signal that four runs have been scored, the umpire moves his right hand from one side to the other, repeatedly waving it back and forth horizontally.

The maximum, six runs, is scored when the batter hits the ball directly over the boundary before it bounces. This shot is the most rewarding but also among the riskiest, due to the chances of getting bowled or caught.

To signal a six, the umpire will raise both hands above his head, which the fans will often imitate.

How does a player get ‘out’?

There are several ways to get a batter out, with each out referred to as “losing a wicket”.

Since cricket is played with pairs of batsmen, when 10 players from the batting team are dismissed, their innings concludes, and the sum of the runs they scored sets the target score for the bowling team.

The most common ways of getting a player out include:

Bowled: This happens if the batter misses the ball, and it goes on to hit the wicket.

Caught: A batter is caught out when they hit the ball and a fielder catches it before it touches the ground.

Run-Out: A run-out happens when the fielding team throws the ball at the wicket while the batter is trying to score a run and before they can reach the opposite side of the pitch.

LBW (Leg Before Wicket): This decision depends on various factors, but in a nutshell, a batter can be given out LBW if the ball hits their legs while they are standing in front of the wicket, thus preventing the wicket from being hit.

To signal an “out”, the umpire who is standing in the middle of the field will raise his index finger to signify that a batter has been dismissed.

This gesture is often referred to as the umpire having “raised the finger” or “given the finger”.

How do you read the score?

To follow the score in cricket, you need to look at three numbers.

The first is the number of runs a team has scored – the higher the number, the better.

The second indicates the number of “outs” or “wickets”. Once 10 players are out, their batting innings come to an end.

The third is the number of overs that have been bowled.

Combined, a score may look like this: 109-5 (10 overs)

This means that 109 runs have been scored, 5 players are out, and 10 overs have been completed.

Typically, teams make anywhere from 100 to 250 runs during a T20 match. A score of 100 is considered low to defend, while 250 runs is usually very strong.

The highest score in international T20 cricket was between Zimbabwe and The Gambia in 2024.

Zimbabwe batted first and scored a huge 344-4 in their 20 overs. In response, The Gambia only managed 54 runs before losing all 10 of their wickets.

Zimbabwe won by 290 runs.

You are a beginning or intermediate skier, allergic to long lift lines, more interested in peace and quiet than après-ski action. Or you have young kids, ripe for introduction to skiing or snowboarding. Or you simply want a rustic mountain getaway, one where you can amble through a woodsy little village with zero Starbucks.

These traits make you a good candidate for June Lake, the eastern Sierra town that lives most of its life in the shadow of bigger, busier Mammoth Lakes.

“It’s way family-friendlier than Mammoth,” said Daniel Jones after a day of June Lake snowboarding with Lorena Alvarado and children Gabriela Gonzales, 7, and Amirah Jones, 2. They had come from Riverside, a first-time visit for the kids.

After a day of snowboarding at June Mountain, Daniel Jones and Lorena Alvarado of Riverside head for the parking lot with children Gabriela Gonzalez, 7, and Amirah Jones, 2.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Like me, they’d arrived in time to savor the sight of the Sierra under all the snow that fell in late December. That storm knocked out power for several days, but led to the opening of all the trails on June Mountain, the town’s ski resort.

The main road to June Lake is the 14-mile June Lake Loop, a.k.a. State Route 158, which branches off from U.S. 395 about 10 miles north of the exit for Mammoth, roughly 320 miles north of Los Angeles.

Once you leave 395, things get rustic quickly. The two-lane loop threads its way among forests and A-frames and cabins, skirting the waters of June Lake and the lake’s village, which is only a few blocks long. Check out the three-foot icicles dripping from the eaves and keep an eye out for the big boulder by the fire station on the right.

After the village, you pass Gull Lake (the tiniest of the four lakes along the loop) and the June Mountain ski area. Then, if you’re driving in summer, the road loops back to 395 by way of Silver Lake and Grant Lake.

The June Lake area in the eastern Sierra includes several bodies of water. Rush Creek, seen here, feeds into Silver Lake a few miles from the village of June Lake.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

But in winter, the northern part of that loop is closed to cars, Maybe this is why the village, mountain and environs so often feel like a snowbound secret.

As for the June Mountain ski area, its 1,500 accessible acres make it much smaller than Mammoth Mountain (with whom it shares a corporate parent). And it has a larger share of beginner and intermediate runs — a drag for hotshots, maybe, but a boon for families.

By management’s estimate, June Mountain’s 41 named trails are 15% beginner level and 40% intermediate. (At Mammoth, 59% of 180 named trails are rated difficult, very difficult or extremely difficult.) Leaning into this difference, June Mountain offers free lift tickets to children 12 and under. (Adult lift tickets are typically $119-$179 per day.)

From the chairlifts at June Mountain ski resort, visitors get broad views.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

The ski area is served by six chairlifts, and just about everyone begins by riding chair J1 up to the June Meadows Chalet (8,695 feet above sea level). That’s where the cafeteria, rental equipment, lockers and shop are found and lessons begin.

That’s also where you begin to notice the view, especially the 10,908-foot Carson Peak.

“Usually, me and my family go to Big Bear every year, but we wanted to try something different. Less people. And a lot of snow,” said Valeriia Ivanchenko, a 20-year-old snowboarder who was taking a breather outside the chalet.

“No lines and lots of big, wide-open runs,” said Brian Roehl, who had come from Sacramento with his wife.

“The lake views are nice, too,” said Roxie Roehl.

June Lake is a 30-minute drive from Mammoth. Because both operations are owned by Denver-based Alterra Mountain Co., Mammoth lift tickets are generally applicable at June. So it’s easy to combine destinations.

Or you could just focus on June Lake, an unincorporated community with about 600 people, one K-8 public school and one gas station (the Shell station where 158 meets 395).

In summer, when it’s busiest, fishers and boaters head for the lakes and you can reach Yosemite National‘s eastern entrance with a 25-mile drive via the seasonal Tioga Road.

The Tiger Bar has anchored June Lake’s downtown since 1932.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

In winter and summer alike, the heart of June Lake‘s village is dominated by the 94-year-old Tiger Bar & Café (which was due to be taken over by new owners in January); Ernie’s Tackle & Ski Shop (which goes back to 1932 and has lower rental prices than those at June Mountain); the June Lake General Store and June Lake Brewing.

At the brewery — JLB to locals — I found Natalie and Chris Garcia of Santa Barbara and their daughter Winnie, 18 months old and eager to chase down a duck on the patio.

“This is her first snow,” Natalie Garcia said, adding that June Lake “just feels more down-home … less of a party scene.”

“We built a snowman,” said Chris Garcia.

Natalie and Chris Garcia of Santa Barbara play with their daughter, Winnie, and a duck at June Lake Brewing.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

It’s fun to imagine that rustic, semi-remote places like this never change, but of course they do, for better and worse. The Carson Peak Inn steakhouse, a longtime landmark, is closed indefinitely. Meanwhile, Pino Pies, which offers New Zealand-style meat pies, opened in the village last spring. (I recommend the $13 potato-top pie.)

Pino Pies, open since 2025 in June Lake, offers New Zealand-style meat pies.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Next time I’m in town I hope to try the June Deli (which took over the former Epic Cafe space in the village last year) and the June Pie Pizza Co. (New York-style thin crusts) or the Balanced Rock Grill & Cantina. And I might make a day trip to Mono Lake (about 15 miles north).

I might also repeat the two hikes I did in the snow.

For one, I put crampons on my boots and headed about 3 miles south on U.S. 395 to the Obsidian Dome Trail, a mostly flat route of just under a mile — great for snowshoes or walking dogs.

For the other hike, I headed to the closed portion of June Lake Loop and parked just short of the barricade. Beyond it, a hiker or snowshoer finds several miles of carless, unplowed path, with mountains rising to your left and half-frozen Rush Creek and Silver Lake to the right.

When part of Highway 158 closes to auto traffic in winter, hikers and snowshoers inherit a broad, mostly flat path with views of Silver Lake.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

“You get up to the lake and you hear the ice cracking. It’s wonderful,” said Mike Webb, 73, whom I met on the trail with his son, Randy, 46, and Randy’s 10-year-old and 12-year-old.

“This is serenity up here,” said Webb. “If you’re looking for a $102 pizza, go to Mammoth.”

Although the two dominant political parties–Republican and Democratic–get most of the attention and their candidates win most offices, there are four other ballot-qualified parties in California: American Independent, Green, Libertarian, and Peace and Freedom. Buoyed by a surge in voter disaffection and disgust with the political status quo, the minor parties are fielding candidates in a number of major California races. Yet victory is likely to remain elusive: The combined voter registration of the four parties totals only 450,000. Most often, these parties enter races not so much to win as to force the discussion of certain issues that they feel might otherwise be ignored. Here is a look at the parties and the issues they stand for. All but the Green Party have entered candidates in the U.S. Senate races, and those candidates are also listed here. Candidates in other races are listed on Pages 6, 7 and 8.

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT:

Origins: Supporters of former Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace’s 1968 presidential bid formed this party. Today, it disavows the racism once associated with Wallace but promotes fiscal conservatism and a generally right-wing agenda. The party is loosely Loosely affiliated with the U.S. Taxpayers Party elsewhere in the nation. But it is not related, as some mistakenly believe, to businessman Ross Perot’s independent presidential candidacy.

Membership: 217,197 registered voters (1.54% of state’s total registration).

Issues: The party wants to reduce government spending across the board, including cuts in the military budget. It would terminate all foreign aid. American Independent candidates want to eliminate the federal income tax and the Internal Revenue Service. They would repeal many environmental and other government regulations and impose term limits for elected officials. They advocate removing the federal role in schools. They favor the death penalty and would outlaw abortion.

U.S. Senate candidates: Marketing consultant Paul Meeuwenberg for the two-year seat, Castroville businessman Jerome McCready for the six-year seat.

GREEN:

Origins: The newest of California’s alternative parties, the Greens were certified as an official party in January after a registration drive that targeted environmental rallies, anti-Gulf War marches and rock ‘n’ roll concerts. Members include environmentalists, feminists and peace activists, among others. Despite the party’s fledgling status, members have already won about a dozen nonpartisan local offices across the state. Sixteen Greens are running for seats in the Congress and the Legislature this fall , most of them in Southern California. Most members live in the San Francisco Bay Area The party is patterned after the European Green parties but there are no financial ties.

Membership: 95,116 registered voters (0.67% of total).

Issues: The Greens favor strong environmental protection, or “ecological wisdom.” The party would like to see deep defense cuts, with the “peace dividend” going to education and other domestic programs. The party favors abortion rights, nonviolence and community-based economics. It also advocates vegetarian meals in schools and jails.

U.S. Senate candidates: None.

PEACE AND FREEDOM:

Origins: The party grew out of the anti-war movement of the 1960s, first qualifying for the ballot in California in 1968. Party membership began to wane after the Vietnam War but it is making a small comeback as the party broadens its platform to include a variety of liberal and socialist issues. Still largely a California party.

Membership: 68,182 registered voters (0.48% of total).

Issues: The party promotes multiracial harmony and the righting of racial inequities as a prerequisite for bringing the national economy back to life. It advocates huge cuts in defense spending and the conversion of the nation’s defense industry to civilian business. The party also favors redistribution of the wealth, achieved through taxing the rich and raising the minimum wage.

U.S. Senate candidates: Gerald Horne, professor of history and chairman of the black studies department at UC Santa Barbara, running for the two-year seat. Genevieve Torres, a cancer researcher, is listed on the ballot as the party’s candidate for the six-year seat, but because of internal disputes, many in the party have distanced themselves from her campaign.

LIBERTARIAN:

Origins: On the ballot in all 50 states, the Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 in Colorado. It promotes a synthesis of social Darwinism, individualism and laissez-faire economics. The party is fielding 100 candidates in congressional and local races in California.

Membership: 66,994 registered voters (0.47% of total).

Issues: The Libertarian Party stands for a hands-off style of government and the defense of personal liberties. Libertarian candidates believe in putting a cap on federal spending, reducing defense spending and eliminating foreign aid. They would phase out federal subsidies to businesses and to state and local governments. They support a voucher system in schools and would eliminate the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency and most government offices. Because they believe in limited government, Libertarian candidates advocate legalization of drugs, prostitution and gambling.

U.S. Senate candidates: Self-described entrepreneur and motivational speaker Richard Boddie for the two-year seat; computer programmer June Genis for the six-year term.

Many Angelenos have never set foot in Monrovia, the mountain-view town nestled in the San Gabriel foothills, or even heard of it — unless they read their Trader Joe’s labels, many of which name the city as the distribution site. It’s still a bit of an insider’s secret, which locals like myself tend to appreciate.

Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now.

Monrovia embodies the word “picturesque” in a way Thornton Wilder would’ve appreciated: Neat little historic homes — many designed in the Arts and Crafts and New Mediterranean architectural styles — line neighborhood streets abundant with native plants. Residents, by turns sweet and quirky, seem like they could be plucked right out the “Gilmore Girls” town of Stars Hollow: You might meet an award-winning whistler who hosts an annual music festival in Library Park or a mayor whose husband campaigns for her by strolling the streets wearing a sandwich board. Monrovians are intensely proud of their city, telling their stories through a historical museum and an archive called the Legacy Project. On Friday evenings, they often come together in Old Town Monrovia, where four blocks of the main thoroughfare of Myrtle Avenue are shut down to traffic for a street fair complete with bounce houses, food trucks and a petting zoo. Their event calendars are peppered with frequent festivals in Library Park and the county fair-esque Monrovia Days town birthday celebration.

Los Angeles County’s fourth-oldest city, Monrovia was incorporated in 1887 after William N. Monroe, a former superintendent for Southern Pacific rail company, along with James F. Crank, Edward F. Spence and John D. Bicknell, plotted a 120-acre town centered at Orange (now Colorado Boulevard) and Myrtle Avenue. Historic gems can be found all around: You can still admire the Mayan Revival-style architecture of the century-old Aztec Hotel or look for the brass plaques displayed on more than 40 of Monrovia’s “first houses” built before the end of 1887. Just be on the lookout for the bears: They’re the unofficial mascot of Monrovia, since they languidly amble our streets, inspire our art (you’ll find bear murals and sculptures throughout town) and even bathe in our hot tubs.

In general, daily life in Monrovia feels mellow, slow and friendly. Seeing and being seen isn’t as much of an objective as savoring a breakfast of runny eggs while reading a newspaper, meandering by the lit-up park fountain or hiking through the 80 acres of wilderness at Monrovia Canyon Park. Don’t expect to get anywhere in town fast, especially during rush hour along Huntington Drive, Foothill Boulevard or the 210. In getting around, public transit can come to the rescue: the GoMonrovia Lyft Pass offers $6 local Lyft rides, and the city is connected by Metro to Pasadena, Highland Park, Union Station, Azusa, Long Beach and other locations. Monrovia isn’t for everyone but it’s as close to paradise as anything I’ve ever found in Los Angeles County. I hope to someday be considered one of the city’s quirky characters who has long called this place home.

I would love to take my girlfriend out on a romantic date in L.A. There is no special occasion but instead “just because.” She loves movies, food and new experiences. She is very adventurous. She’s a horror fan but also a hopeless romantic. I want to give her a date she will never forget.— Daisy Vargas

Looking for things to do in L.A.? Ask us your questions and our expert guides will share highly specific recommendations.

Here’s what we suggest:

Daisy, this is so sweet. It sounds like you love your girlfriend a lot. Lucky for you, there are several places around L.A. where you can give her an unforgettable experience.

Since she’s into horror films, she’d probably love Horror Row, the stretch of Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank that is densely populated with spooky, spine crawling horror-themed shops and attractions you can enjoy year round. You’ll find the terror-themed coffee shop Horror Vibes Coffee, a convenience store known as the Horror Boodega, a year-round Halloween store called Halloween Town and the Mystic Museum, which Times contributor Jess Joho calls “a perfect date spot for oddity-inclined couples” in a guide about nightmare inducing spots in L.A. The museum sells occult essentials, cursed antiques and movie merchandise. In the back of the shop, there’s an interactive maze that changes seasonally.

For movie screenings, check out the VHS (Variety Horror Screenings) Society, which hosts monthly events. The next screening, happening on Feb. 22 at Benny Boy Brewing, will be a double feature of horror romance films, “Warm Bodies” and “Lisa Frankenstein.” (Goth fashion and ‘80s-themed outfits are encouraged.) After the event, if you’re hungry, Times food writer Stephanie Breijo suggests the nearby Macheen, which sells “amazing tacos” and was featured in our 101 best restaurants list or OG taco shop Guisados.

Brain Dead Studios in the Fairfax District also hosts film screenings throughout the month, and don’t sleep on the concession stand, Breijo tells me. It’s stocked with “some of the best snacks in all of L.A.” including Burritos La Palma and La Morra Pizzeria, she says. The independent theater and retail shop is also down the street from “all the hits on Fairfax” including the new location of Genghis Cohen, Lucia, Canter’s and Badmaash,” she adds.

Chances are that at least a few of your girlfriend’s favorite movies were filmed in L.A. so here’s a date idea you can steal from my colleague Jaclyn Cosgrove. For Valentine’s Day in 2020, they took their wife to different locations around the city where scenes from films she loves were shot. “I had the shots on my phone,” Cosgrove tells me. “It was both movie-focused and romantic, and a nice adventure before the shutdown.” You can also check out this list of 12 iconic L.A. film and TV horror homes to add to your tour.

For a thrill-inducing date, consider taking your girlfriend to a rock climbing gym. In this guide, Dakota Kim writes about seven gyms, including Sender One, which has three locations around the city, all of which “make indoor climbing feel luxurious.” Or if soaring across the sky is more your jam, go on a zip lining adventure. Cosgrove recently visited Highline Adventures near Solvang, which boasts the fastest and longest zip line in the state. The third zip line on the course, which is about 2,650 feet long, can reach up to 60 mph. Make it a weekend trip.

Times entertainment and features editor Brittany Levine Beckman suggests the Santa Monica Trapeze School, which is where her husband/then boyfriend took her on a birthday date years ago. “We had a good time and it was adventurous,” she tells me. Afterward, you can take a walk along the Santa Monica Pier or the beach, then grab what food columnist and critic Jenn Harris calls “the best grilled cheese in the universe” at Pasjoli.

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, so I hope these recommendations help you plan the perfect, memorable date for you and your girlfriend. The beautiful thing about love is that anything can feel romantic when you’re with the right person, so I’m sure whatever you end up doing will be amazing. Sending love. <3 <3 <3