Dismissals in Cricket: The 10 Ways to Get Out Explained for Beginners (2025 Updated Laws)

 

 

Dismissals in Cricket: Cricket is a beautiful game, but for beginners, the many ways a batter can be dismissed can feel overwhelming. There are exactly 10 official ways to avoid dismissals in cricket according to the Laws of Cricket (MCC 2024/25 edition). Whether you’re new to the sport or just want a clear refresher, this guide explains every dismissal in simple terms—with examples and the latest 2025 law updates.

 

Why Understanding Dismissal Matters

Knowing how a batter can be “out” helps you follow the game, enjoy highlights, and even play better yourself. Let’s dive into all 10 methods, ranked roughly from most common to rarest.

Caught

The most frequent dismissal you’ll see on TV.

How it happens: The batter hits the ball and a fielder catches it before it touches the ground.

Key 2025 rule reminder: The ball must not touch the ground or any person outside the field of play (e.g., a helmet on the ground still counts as “ground”).

Famous example: Ben Stokes’ unbelievable catch in the 2019 World Cup final boundary drama.

 Bowled

The purest form of dismissal—and every bowler’s dream.

How it happens: The bowler delivers a ball that hits the stumps and dislodges at least one bail.

Even if the batter hits it: If the ball then goes on to hit the stumps, it’s still bowled (not caught).

2025 note: No change, but new sensor technology in stumps makes “did the bail fully come off?” decisions ultra-accurate.

 

Leg Before Wicket (LBW)

The most debated and complex dismissals in cricket.

How it happens: The ball hits the batter’s leg (or body) before touching the bat, and the umpire believes it would have gone on to hit the stumps.

Three key conditions (simplified):The ball must pitch in line or outside off stump (or on stump for spinners in some cases)

• Impact must be in line with the stumps
• The ball must be going on to hit the stumps

2025 update: Umpire’s Call margin on DRS remains the same, but ball-tracking now uses higher frame-rate cameras for even more precision.

Run Out

Drama, diving, and third-umpire slow motion!

How it happens: While running between the wickets, the batter fails to reach the crease before a fielder breaks the stumps with the ball.

Important: The bat must be grounded behind the popping crease. Just having it in the air over the line = out.

Classic example: MS Dhoni’s lightning-fast stumpings that are technically run-outs from the bowler’s end.

Stumped

The wicketkeeper’s moment of glory.

How it happens: The batter steps out of their crease (usually to a spinner), misses the ball, and the keeper breaks the stumps before they get back.

Difference from run out: The keeper must have the ball in hand(s) and no part of the batter or bat is grounded behind the crease.

2025 note: Law 25.6 now clarifies that accidental movement of the stumps by the keeper before collecting the ball is NOT stumped.

Hit Wicket

Rare and often hilarious.

How it happens: The batter accidentally breaks their own stumps with their bat, body, or helmet while playing a shot or setting off for a run.

Example: Steve Smith stepping on his stumps while leaving the crease.

2025 clarification: If the batter’s helmet falls off and breaks the stumps while they are dodging a bouncer, it is now NOT OUT (Law 27.4 update).

Handled the Ball → Now merged into “Obstructing the Field”

This separate dismissal no longer exists as of 2017, but many beginners still search for it.It has been absorbed into Obstructing the Field (see #9).

Timed Out

The slowest and most embarrassing way to get out.

How it happens: The incoming batter takes more than 3 minutes to reach the crease after the previous wicket fell.

Time limit (2024/25 Laws):Test cricket: 3 minutes

ODI/T20: 90 seconds (but rarely enforced in international cricket)

Has it ever happened in international cricket?

Yes—Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 2023 World Cup) became the first.

 Obstructing the Field

Very rare and controversial.

How it happens: The batter deliberately interferes with a fielder who is trying to catch or run them out (e.g., blocking a throw with the hand or body).

2025 note: Simply changing direction while running is allowed as long as it’s not willful obstruction.

Famous case: Inzamam-ul-Haq in 2006, and Ben Stokes in 2015 (given not out after appeal).

• Hit the Ball Twice
• Almost never seen in professional cricket.

How it happens: The batter deliberately strikes the ball a second time with bat or body (except to push it away to protect the wicket).

To defend the stumps from being broken by a returned throw.

Last international example: Sri Lanka’s Hasantha Fernando in 2005 (and it was given not out anyway!).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How many ways are there to get out in cricket?

A: There are officially 10 ways according to the 2024/25 Laws of Cricket.

Q: Which dismissal cannot be reviewed by DRS?

A: Timed Out and Bowled (unless there’s a no-ball check).Q: Can a batter be out “Mankaded”?

A: Yes—non-striker run out by the bowler before delivery is perfectly legal (now called simply “Run out” under Law 38, renamed in 2022).

Q: Is “Handled the Ball” still a dismissal?

A: No. Since 2017 it has been merged into “Obstructing the Field.”

Final Tip on Dismissals in Cricket  for Beginners

Next time you watch a match, count the dismissals—you’ll be surprised how often it’s just Caught, Bowled, LBW, or Run Out. The other six are the rare gems that make cricket so unpredictable!

Enjoy the game, and may your favorite team never be Timed Out!

(Last updated: November 2025 – fully compliant with current MCC Laws)