How do you show 6 in hand cricket?

Most players show 6 as a thumbs up: a closed fist with only the thumb raised. 1 to 4 are that many fingers, and 5 is an open hand.

How does the odd or even toss work in hand cricket?

One player calls odd or even. Both show a number of fingers at the same time and add the two together. If the total matches the call, the caller wins the toss and chooses to bat or bowl.

When are you out in hand cricket?

You are out when you and the bowler show the same number on the same ball. In the usual playground game one out ends your innings.

Can you play 0 in hand cricket?

In some groups a closed fist means 0: no runs, but it can't get you out unless the bowler also shows a fist. Many groups don't allow it, so agree before you start.

How many players can play hand cricket?

Two: a batter and a bowler. Bigger groups play it as a knockout or take turns in teams, but each ball is always one hand against one hand.

How to play hand cricket: rules, hand signs and the toss

Hand cricket is a 2-player game played with fingers. After an odd or even toss, one player bats and the other bowls. Each ball, both show a number from 1 to 6 at the same moment. If the numbers are different, the batter scores the number they showed. If they are the same, the batter is out. Then the players swap, and the second batter has to beat the first batter's total.

Hand cricket is the cricket you can play anywhere: two people, two hands, nothing else. It was a school and playground game long before it was an app, so the rules change a little from group to group. What follows is the version most people know, as described by guides such as Instructables and Cricket File, plus the common variations.

The hand signs

Both players use one hand and show a number by holding up fingers:

1: the index finger
2: index and middle finger, in a V
3: three fingers
4: four fingers, thumb folded in
5: an open hand
6: a thumbs up, with every finger curled in and only the thumb raised

The 6 is the one that surprises new players. You can’t show six fingers on one hand, so the thumb on its own stands for the biggest shot.

Who bats first: the odd or even toss

One player calls odd or even. On a count of three, both show a number. Add the two numbers together. If the call was even and the total is 8, the caller wins; if the total is 7, the other player wins. The winner chooses to bat or bowl.

How a ball works

On every ball, batter and bowler shake their fists and show a sign at the same moment, usually on “1, 2, 3, go”.

Different numbers: the batter scores the number they showed. Batter 4, bowler 2: that’s 4 runs.
Same number: the batter is out. Batter 5, bowler 5: out.

Only the batter’s number counts for runs. The bowler is trying to guess it, nothing more.

An over played through

Riya bats, Arjun bowls.

Ball	Riya	Arjun	Result	Total
1	6	3	6 runs	6
2	6	1	6 runs	12
3	2	6	2 runs	14
4	4	4	Out	14

Arjun read the pattern too late. He bowled 6 on ball 3, expecting a third six, and Riya had already switched down. On ball 4 he guessed right.

The chase

Now they swap. Arjun bats and needs 15 to win: one more than Riya’s 14. His innings ends as soon as he passes 14, or when he is out. If he is out on exactly 14, it’s a tie; groups settle that their own way, often with one more ball each.

Common variations

Agree on these before the first ball, because they change the game:

Wickets: one out per innings is usual. Longer games give each batter 2 or 3 wickets.
Overs: some groups play a set number of balls, often 6 or 12, so a batter who never gets out can’t bat forever.
0 to defend: a closed fist for 0 scores nothing and can’t be out unless the bowler also shows a fist.
Two hands: some versions use both hands, for numbers up to 10.

Hand cricket on a phone

Six Sense is hand cricket as a mobile game. It keeps the rule above, where the same number means out, and plays the toss as odd or even. It adds what’s hard to track on a playground: a stamina meter, so a batter who keeps playing 6 gets tired, a 0 that defends, and bowler cards such as the Bouncer and the Yorker. You can play against the computer offline, against other players online, or with a friend using a room code.