Cricket Break Rules Explained: Lunch, Tea & Innings Breaks You Didn’t Know About

Cricket is a game of patience, strategy, and endurance, often played for extended durations. To ensure players get adequate rest, cricket matches have designated break times. Whether it’s a Test match, ODI, or T20, each format follows specific intervals for lunch, tea, and innings breaks.

In this article, we’ll explore all the essential cricket break timings, including innings break time in Test cricket, lunch and tea breaks, and the intervals in ODIs and IPL matches.

Break Timings in Test Cricket

Test cricket, played over five days, has three primary breaks:

1. Lunch Break in Test Cricket

• The lunch break is the first major interval of the day.
• Test match lunch timing: Typically, it occurs after the first session, around 12:30 PM – 1:10 PM (local time) depending on the match’s location.
• Duration: 40 minutes.

2. Tea Break in Test Cricket

• The tea break marks the interval between the second and third session.
• Test match tea break time: Usually taken at 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM (local time).
• Duration: 20 minutes.

3. Drinks Break in Test Cricket

• Short hydration breaks are taken at the midpoint of each session.
• Typically lasts 2-3 minutes.
• Taken every hour of play (subject to weather conditions).

Innings Break in Test Cricket

• An innings break occurs when a team completes its batting.
• Duration: 10 minutes before the next innings begins.

Innings Break in Limited-Overs Cricket

1. Innings Break in ODIs (50-over matches)

• In One Day Internationals (ODIs), the innings break occurs after 50 overs.
• Duration: 45 minutes.

2. Innings Break in T20 Matches

• In T20 Internationals (T20Is) and IPL, the innings break happens after 20 overs.
• IPL innings break time: 15 minutes.
• This shorter break allows for a fast-paced, action-packed game.

Break Timings in IPL 2024

• The innings break in IPL lasts 15 minutes, giving players a quick breather.
• Drinks break: A short 2-minute break is taken after 10 overs of each innings.

Conclusion

Break times in cricket ensure players remain fresh and perform at their best. Whether it’s the innings break time in Test cricket, lunch and tea breaks, or the shorter breaks in IPL and ODIs, each format has structured intervals to maintain the flow of the game. With IPL currently underway, understanding these break times enhances the viewing experience for fans and provides insights into the sport’s strategic pauses.