Nukkad to Nation / Rules in the game
Cricket rules in Nukkad to Nation
Nukkad to Nation plays to real cricket’s playing conditions, set by fictional governing bodies such as the International Cricket Body and each country’s board. The boards meet every season and can change a rule, so the in-game Rulebook always shows the version in force.
- Tests allow 3 unsuccessful reviews per innings, ODIs and T20Is 2. An umpire’s call keeps the review.
- Two bouncers an over in Tests and ODIs, one in T20s.
- Every no-ball in limited-overs cricket brings a free hit.
- Franchise T20 leagues can use the Impact Player, a substitute who can bat and bowl.
- Tied knockouts go to a Super Over, repeated until there is a winner.
Who makes the rules in the game?
Three levels of fictional governing bodies make the rules. The International Cricket Body runs international cricket and the World Test Championship. Regional bodies such as the Asian Cricket Federation run events like the Asia Cup. National boards, for example the Indian Cricket Control Board or the Cricket Board of Australia, run domestic cricket, franchise leagues and central contracts. State associations set the rules of club leagues.
How does the Decision Review System work?
Each side gets a fixed number of unsuccessful reviews per innings: 3 in Tests and 2 in ODIs, T20Is and franchise matches. Domestic knockouts can use reviews too. In live matches the game asks whether you want to review an LBW or a catch behind. Ball-tracking decides LBWs, showing where the ball pitched, the impact and whether it was hitting the stumps, and edge detection decides catches. If the result is “umpire’s call”, the original decision stands but you keep the review.
How many bouncers can a bowler bowl?
Bowlers may bowl up to two bouncers an over in Tests and ODIs and one in T20 cricket. When you bowl in player mode, the bouncer option locks once the over’s quota is used, and the delivery list shows how many you have left.
What is a free hit?
A free hit is the ball after a no-ball in limited-overs cricket, and the batter cannot be out from it except by a run out. Batters swing harder on free hits, so a no-ball late in an innings is expensive.
What is the in-match over-rate penalty?
A side that falls behind the over rate must bring one extra fielder inside the circle for the final over. It applies in T20Is, ODIs and franchise matches, which is why slow sides concede more at the death. The world body can suspend the rule for a season.
What is the Impact Player rule?
The Impact Player is a substitute who can bat and bowl, brought on usually at the innings break. In the game it is used in the home franchise T20 league and can be trialled in domestic T20 cricket. The side batting second often swaps a bowler for a batter, and the defending side adds a bowler.
When can a captain enforce the follow-on?
A captain can enforce the follow-on with a first-innings lead of 200 in a five-day Test or 150 in a four-day match. In the game, the captain applies it automatically when it makes sense.
What happens if a match is tied?
Tied limited-overs knockout matches are decided by a Super Over, one over per side, repeated if the scores are still level. League matches that end level stay as ties.
How does the World Test Championship work?
Teams earn 12 points for a Test win, 6 for a tie and 4 for a draw. The table is ranked by the percentage of points won, and the top two play the final. Follow it on the World page under Test Championship.
Which domestic rules can change by country?
National boards add their own rules, and they differ between countries. Examples from the game:
- First-innings lead: in a drawn first-class match, the side with the first-innings lead takes 3 points and the other side 1. An outright win earns 6, or 7 by an innings or 10 wickets.
- Overseas limits and retentions: franchise squads have a purse, a minimum and maximum squad size, limits on overseas players and up to 4 retentions before each auction.
- No-objection certificates: a board can stop its players joining foreign franchise leagues.
- Fitness benchmarks: some boards require a minimum fitness score for national selection.
- Central contracts: grades A+, A, B and C are awarded every January to a country’s leading players.
- Under-23 quota: state league XIs must include at least two players aged 23 or under.
Do the rules change during a career?
Yes. The governing bodies meet before every season and can change rules, for example cutting T20I reviews to one for a trial year, allowing two bouncers in T20s or scrapping the Impact Player. The news tells you when a rule changes, and the Rulebook page shows the current version for your country and state.
Common questions
Is the game’s cricket realistic?
Yes. Every ball is simulated from the players’ skills, the pitch, the conditions and the tactics, and the main playing conditions of modern cricket are built in.
Can I turn off reviews?
Reviews depend on the competition’s rules. In matches without them, umpires’ decisions are final, as in real domestic cricket.
Where can I see the rules for my league?
Open the Rulebook page in the game. It lists the rules of every body your team plays under, with what each one changes in your matches.
New to some of these words? See cricket terms explained.