Optimal lineups in Twenty20 cricket

Abstract

This paper considers the determination of optimal team lineups in Twenty20 cricket where a lineup consists of three components: team selection, batting order and bowling order. Via match simulation, we estimate the expected runs scored minus the expected runs allowed for a given lineup. The lineup is then optimized over a vast combinatorial space via simulated annealing. We observe that the composition of an optimal Twenty20 lineup sometimes results in non-traditional roles for players. As a by-product of the methodology, we obtain an ‘all-star’ lineup selected from international Twenty20 cricketers.