In the golden era, cricket was played for days as each team almost played more than 100 overs a day. In the early days of cricket, an over involved eight legal deliveries. Gradually, new formats and rules came into existence and an over was reduced to six legal deliveries across all formats. Cricket is unique as a sport with 3 different formats of the game at the very highest level. There are three formats of cricket played at the international level – Test matches, One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals. These matches are played under the rules and regulations approved by the International Cricket Council, which also provides match officials for them.

Here's a brief explanation of each format:

Test Cricket: Test cricket is the oldest and traditional form of the game, which has been played since 1877. It is played over a maximum of five days, with each team batting twice and trying to score more runs than the opposition. A test match consists of two innings per team, with each innings ending when 10 of the 11 batsmen are dismissed (out) or the captain declares the innings closed. The team that scores the most runs over the two innings wins the match. Test cricket allows for greater strategic play and tests players' endurance and skills over an extended period.

One-Day Internationals (ODIs): ODIs are a pacier format which started in 1971 but gained in popularity from the 1980s. ODIs are limited-overs matches where each team gets to bat and bowl for a maximum of 50 overs (6 deliveries per over). An ODI match is usually completed in a single day. The team that scores the most runs in their allotted 50 overs wins the match. If the team batting second surpasses the target set by the team batting first before completing their 50 overs, they win the match. ODIs offer a balance between the strategic nature of Test cricket and the more dynamic and fast-paced style of Twenty20 cricket.

Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is): T20Is are the shortest and most fast-paced format of cricket. Each team gets to bat and bowl for a maximum of 20 overs. T20 matches are typically completed within a few hours. The team that scores the most runs in their 20 overs wins the match. T20 cricket is known for its explosive batting, innovative shots, and aggressive fielding strategies. It emphasizes quick scoring, and players often aim for boundaries (4 runs) and sixes (6 runs) to maximize the run rate.

The ICC World Twenty20 is the premier international T20 tournament which started in 2007, and it has been hosted a further five times since then with the advent of the ICC Women's World Twenty20 being hosted alongside the men's event since 2009.

In addition to these main formats, there are domestic T20 leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), Big Bash League (BBL), and Pakistan Super League (PSL), which have gained significant popularity worldwide. These leagues feature franchises representing different cities or regions and are known for their high-intensity cricket entertainment.