Gully Cricket Rules

The Wall Street hype, corporate linens and buildings touching the sky. The interiors reflecting luxury and streets filled with people experiencing life. In contrast to that, tattered and dusty clothes, patch-work roads, box like houses and a not-so-luxurious bicycle awaits for kids in India who live their Tendulkar-dream every day, travels a mile or more to reach the destination. Where it all begins, maybe an old school government owned ground or a 22 yard street, just a red colored rubber ball or in case if the budget is fine then a fluorescent colored cosco ball and a bat without a kookaburra tag. Three equal sized sticks from the bushes and two slippers instead of bails, and all is set to start a Gully Cricket match. Gully cricket has its own rules and regulations, not conducted by ICC. They follow their own set of rules irrespective of them being illegal in the legal format of game. Here are such 10 rules listed below:-

1) One Tip One Hand Rule

While batting, if a fielder appeals after taking a catch single-handedly and the ball has hit the ground once, in that case according to the one tip one hand rule , the batsman is given OUT! 

2) First Trial Ball Rule

On the first ball of an innings, if a batsman loses his wicket then according to the Gully Cricket Book of Rules, that ball is declared as a trial ball. 

3) Bully with a Bat Rule

Whoever owns the most expensive/fancy-looking bat gets a chance to bat first. 

4) Seniors above Juniors Rule

Clash of the Titans in the world of Gully Cricket happens when there are more than one group of kids who play on the same ground, in that case the senior group gets a chance to play first. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. No matter how long the seniors take, juniors have to wait for their turn. 

5) Run for your life Rule

In case if by mistake the batsman sends off the ball directly inside the neighbor's house after smashing the window glass, the one universal rule that works would be, take a step back, turn around and run for your life. Don't look back, just run your way back home. 

6) Introduction of a New Ball Rule

Even while playing Gully Cricket a new ball is introduced but here's the case is a bit different. A new ball is introduced only when the old one is lost. And every member of the group has to contribute a penny or two in order to buy a new one. 

7) GCCI Rule

The unofficial Gully Cricket Council of India makes the major decision for the teams in the age-old style. To decide the batting order, the team members and which team will bat first are all part of GCCI's Rule Manual. 

8) Six and Out rule 

The ball flies high, lands outside the boundary but it's not a six until the ball is found. If the ball gets lost or lands beyond the ground's region then the batsman is out. No wonder in Gully Cricket, Christ Gayle must have made another record for maximum number of dismissals. 

9) The ball went where? Rule

The batsman gets in trouble if he manages to hit the ball straight inside the drainage system. It's the batsman's duty to find the ball, wash it and bring it back to play. In case the ball is lost then the batsman has to buy a new one. 

10) After match party Rule

Not like the IPL after match parties but every serious Gully Cricket match ends up in a little party. Because there is a very famous saying 'a little party never killed anybody '.