Required Run Rate Calculator
What the batting side must score per over from here
Enter the target, the current score and the overs bowled. The calculator shows the runs needed, the balls left, the required run rate and how the next over could change it.
The opposition’s total plus one, or the revised target after rain.
Runs scored so far by the chasing side.
Scorecard notation: 13.2 means 13 overs and 2 balls.
20 for T20, 50 for one-day cricket, or the revised figure.
Wickets do not enter this calculation. The tool does not apply DLS and does not fetch live scores.
Enter the target to win. This is the opposition’s total plus one, or the revised target.
Enter the current score and the overs bowled in scorecard notation.
Check the overs in the innings (20 by default) and click Calculate Required Rate.
Formula: Required run rate = (target − score) × 6 ÷ balls remaining
Example: Target 180, score 108 after 13 overs = 72 × 6 ÷ 42 = 10.29
How the required run rate works
The required run rate, also called the asking rate, is the number of runs per over the batting side must score from this point to reach the target. It is a simple ratio of what is still needed to what is left.
Required run rate = runs needed × 6 ÷ balls remaining
The target is the number of runs that wins the match. If the opposition scored 179, an uninterrupted chase needs 180. At 108 after 13 overs of a 20-over innings, the side needs 180 − 108 = 72 runs. Thirteen overs is 78 balls, so 42 remain. The required rate is 72 × 6 ÷ 42 = 10.29.
Working in balls avoids the usual trap with overs notation. If 13.2 overs have been bowled, 80 balls are gone and 40 remain. Subtracting 13.2 from 20 as decimals would suggest 6.8 overs, which is wrong.
Compare it with the current run rate
The current run rate is the runs scored per over so far: 108 × 6 ÷ 78 = 8.31. The gap between the required and current rates, 10.29 − 8.31 = 1.98, shows how much faster the side must now score than it has so far. A gap that is growing over time means the chase is slipping away. A shrinking gap means the batters are catching up.
The calculator also shows runs needed per ball and the strike rate the batters must achieve together. Needing 72 from 42 balls is 1.71 runs a ball, or a combined strike rate of 171.43. Compare that with the individual strike rates in the strike rate calculator.
Reading the next-over table
Below the result the tool lists seven possible outcomes for the next six legal balls. Using the same chase, 72 needed from 42 balls:
| Runs in the over | Runs still needed | New required rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 72 | 12.00 |
| 6 | 66 | 11.00 |
| 10 | 62 | 10.33 |
| 12 | 60 | 10.00 |
| 15 | 57 | 9.50 |
A twelve-run over lowers the rate from 10.29 to 10.00. A ten-run over barely changes it. A maiden raises it to 12.00. The table assumes six legal balls, so a wide or no-ball in the over would change the arithmetic slightly because those deliveries do not use up one of the six balls.
Details that change the answer
- Wides and no-balls. They add runs but do not count as legal balls. A wide at 72 needed from 42 makes it 71 from 42, a rate of 10.14.
- Wickets. They do not appear in the formula. A chase with two wickets in hand and a required rate of 8 is harder than the number suggests, but only the runs and balls enter the calculation.
- Rain. After an interruption, use the revised target and the number of overs given by the officials. The DLS guide explains how those figures arise.
- Target reached. Once the score reaches the target, no rate is needed. If no balls remain with runs still needed, a finite rate cannot be calculated.
Using the figure in practice
A required rate is a measure of difficulty, not a forecast. Rates under about seven an over in T20 are generally manageable with wickets in hand, and rates well above ten leave very little room for dot balls. These are rough rules of thumb that depend on the pitch, the bowlers and the batters at the crease. For a worked walk-through, read the required run rate guide. To estimate where an innings is heading, see the projected score guide.
Common input mistakes
- Entering the opposition total as the target. The target is one run more.
- Typing overs as a decimal. 13.2 is 80 balls. Do not enter 13.33.
- Forgetting the innings length. In a 50-over match, leave the default of 20 and every result will be wrong.
- Using wickets as an input. They do not affect the formula.
- Using an old target after rain. Replace it with the revised target and overs.
Practice questions with answers
Question 1. In a T20 chase the target is 151 and the score is 70 after 10 overs. What is the required rate?
Answer. Needed 81, balls left 60. 81 × 6 ÷ 60 = 8.10.
Question 2. In a 50-over chase the target is 250 and the score is 120 after 25 overs. What is the required rate?
Answer. Needed 130, balls left 150. 130 × 6 ÷ 150 = 5.20.
Question 3. A side needs 14 from 8 balls. What rate is that?
Answer. 14 × 6 ÷ 8 = 10.50 per over, or 1.75 runs per ball.
Before changing an unexpected result
Is the target the opposition score or one more?
One more. If the opposition scored 179, the chasing side needs 180 to win. Enter 180 as the target.
Why does the calculator ask for overs in the innings?
It needs the total number of balls available. Use 20 for T20, 50 for one-day cricket, or the shortened figure after a rain interruption.
How do I enter 13.2 overs?
Type 13.2. This means 13 complete overs and 2 balls, which is 80 balls. The ball digit can only be 0 to 5.
Why is there no result for no balls remaining?
If runs are still needed with zero balls left, dividing by zero balls gives no finite rate. The tool tells you how many runs are still needed instead.
Does this calculator work for revised DLS targets?
Yes, if you enter the revised target and the revised number of overs. It does not calculate the DLS target itself.
How to check this tool
Published by CricketCals. All examples are fictional teaching examples. The calculator works in your browser from the figures you enter and keeps full precision until the final rounding. If a published scorecard differs, check its overs and the competition rules first, then report a correction with the values you entered and the result you expected.
- MCC Laws of Cricket: Law 17 defines the over and Law 22 covers wides.
- ICC playing conditions: Match conditions and revised targets.
Related guides
- A quiet over changes the asking rate: work it through
- Projected score: how to estimate an innings total
- A rain target is about resources, not an overs ratio
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