How many ways can a batsman be out in cricket?

There is no denying that cricket is a batsman’s game. A majority of the time, bowlers are at the receiving end, playing second fiddle to the willow-wielders.

With bats getting thicker and lighter, and the ever-increasing popularity of the shortest format, the role of bowlers in containing batsmen is becoming ever more difficult. The only option left for a bowler is to show the pavilion’s way to the batsman by taking his wicket.

Even for that though, most of the times, a bowling side has to be dependent heavily on the decision of the umpire. Still, a bowler can take heart from the fact that he has several options to get the better of a batsman.

Technically, there are 10 legal ways to dismiss a batsman. Five of these are very common in the gentleman’s game, but the remaining ones are quite rare.

Let’s start with the most familiar ways – and bowlers, take note!

Caught: This is the most basic style of getting a wicket – when a batsman hits a legal delivery and it is caught by a fielder inside the rope.

Bowled: This happens if a bowler's delivery hits the stumps and a bail is completely dislodged. It doesn’t really matter if the ball has hit the stumps directly or it’s been deflected off the bat or body of the batsman.

LBW: While facing a delivery, if the ball hits any part of a batsman’s body and the umpire feels it would have hit the stumps, he will raise his finger to give him out.

Run out: This is when a fielder removes a bail before the batsman makes it to the marked crease, while taking a run.

Stumped: It's a wicket if a batsman steps out of the crease to play a ball and in the meantime the wicket-keeper gathers the ball and is able to remove the bails, with no part of the batsman behind the crease.

Aside from these five basic tricks to get a wicket, a batsman can also be dismissed in quite rare and almost unseen styles.

Hit wicket: This is when a batsman disturbs his own stumps either with his bat or body, while facing a delivery. One of the most comical hit wickets in the history of the sport was when the then Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq lost his balance while playing a sweep shot off England’s Monty Panesar and fell on to his stumps during a Test in 2006.

A batsman can also be given out if any part of his batting gear hits the stumps. One such incident took place when West Indian bowler Dwayne Bravo’s bouncer hit Kevin Pietersen's helmet, which flew off and hit the stumps in 2007 during a Test match at Old Trafford.

Handled the ball: If a batsman touches a ball with his hand while it's in play, without the approval of the fielder, it's out. This is a very unusual way of getting a wicket. As per the records, seven Test batsmen have been given out in such a unique way. Former players like Steve Waugh and Michael Vaughan are also included in that list.

Hit the ball twice or double hit: Once a batsman has hit his shot or has made some kind of contact with the ball, he can't hit it again, otherwise he could be given out! Having said that, a batsman can still touch the ball a second time, if his intention is just to stop the ball from hitting the stumps.

As far as Test cricket is concerned, no batsman has been given out in such fashion.

Obstructing the field: A batsmen can be given out if he deliberately comes in the fielder’s way or hits a ball which is being thrown back towards any side of the stumps, when he is out of the crease. The latest example of such a dismissal is of England’s Ben Stokes, who was given out at Lord's in 2015 when he was out of his crease after playing the ball back down the pitch, and used his hand to block bowler Mitchell Starc's return throw at the stumps.

Timed out: Once a wicket falls, the next batsman has to take the strike within three minutes, otherwise he would become a victim of a ‘timed out’ dismissal. For the record, not a single Test batsman has ever been given out in such a way. However, if we talk about first-class cricket, Andrew Jordaan, Hemulal Yadav, V.C. Drakes and A.J. Harris are a few names who have been given out for such an offence.

Though a few might disregard this, even retired hurt should technically be included in the list. For the purposes of calculating a batting average, retired hurt is considered as a dismissal.