What is the Duckworth-Lewis Method? DLS Explained
This Duckworth-Lewis calculator (DLS) will help you decide which cricket team won the match, or set a target for the second team if the game is interrupted by rain ☁️.
Both teams get 50 overs each (or fewer in T20/40-over formats) to score as many runs as possible without losing more than ten wickets. Everything is fine as long as the sun shines — but when rain interrupts, everything changes.
The DLS method takes into account how aggressively teams will play depending on the resources available to them — overs remaining and wickets in hand. A simple "pro-rata" reduction isn't fair, because a team with 10 wickets and 25 overs can score much faster than a team in the same position but with only 5 wickets left.
What Problem Does the Duckworth-Lewis Method Solve?
Imagine Team 1 bats their full 50 overs and scores 280 runs. Then it starts raining 🌧️ before Team 2 has faced a single ball. Play resumes, but there are now only 25 overs left.
Should Team 2's target simply be halved to 140? No! A team batting for only 25 overs (with all 10 wickets) will play more aggressively and can reasonably score more than half of a 50-over total. The DLS method accounts for this.
How Duckworth-Lewis Is Calculated — Team Resources
The DLS method assigns a resource percentage to each combination of overs remaining and wickets lost:
- A team with 50 overs remaining, 0 wickets lost = 100% resources (full allocation)
- A team with 25 overs remaining, 0 wickets lost = approximately 75% resources
- A team with 25 overs remaining, 5 wickets lost = approximately 45% resources
Resources decrease exponentially as overs are bowled and wickets fall. The key formula:
R(u, w) = Z₀[w] × (1 − e−L[w] × u)
Where u = overs remaining, w = wickets lost
Target Calculation
Once we know R1 (Team 1's resources) and R2 (Team 2's resources), the revised target is:
- If R2 ≤ R1:
Target = floor(Score₁ × R2 / R1) + 1 - If R2 > R1:
Target = floor(Score₁ + G50 × (R2 − R1) / 100) + 1
Where G50 = 245 is the standard DLS reference score (average runs in a full 50-over innings at the international level).
How to Use This Duckworth-Lewis Calculator
Scenario 1: Rain Before Team 2 Bats
- Select the match format (T20 = 20 overs, 40-over, ODI = 50 overs, or enter custom overs)
- Enter Team 1's score (their total runs)
- Select "Before Team 2 bats"
- Enter the overs available to Team 2 (after rain reduction)
- Click Calculate — the DLS target appears instantly
Scenario 2: Rain During Team 2's Innings
- Select match format and enter Team 1's score
- Select "During Team 2's innings"
- Enter Team 2's initial overs allocation
- Enter Team 2's score at the interruption
- Enter overs bowled to Team 2 before rain
- Enter Team 2's wickets lost at the interruption
- Enter the remaining overs Team 2 will get after rain
- Click Calculate — see the revised target and whether Team 2 was ahead or behind par
Worked Example
Example 1: Basic ODI rain interruption
- Match format: ODI (50 overs)
- Team 1 score: 280
- Rain before Team 2 bats; Team 2 gets 25 overs
- DLS Target: ~212 runs in 25 overs
Example 2: Rain during Team 2's chase
- Match format: ODI (50 overs)
- Team 1 score: 250
- Team 2 at rain: 100/3 off 25 overs; rain reduces remaining overs to 10
- DLS Par at interruption: ~125 — Team 2 is behind by 25 runs
- DLS Revised Target: ~189 runs in 35 overs total
FAQs
Why is the DLS target sometimes higher than a simple pro-rata calculation?
Because a team batting fewer overs with all wickets in hand can play more aggressively. The DLS method accounts for the disproportionate value of wickets vs. overs — a batting side with plenty of wickets can take more risks.
What is G50?
G50 (≈245 runs) is the average score expected in a full 50-over international innings. It's only used in the rare case where Team 2 is given more resources than Team 1 (e.g., Team 1's innings was cut short but Team 2 gets the full allocation).
Is this the official ICC DLS calculator?
No. This calculator uses the published exponential approximation of the DLS methodology from Duckworth & Lewis (1998). Results are very close to the official ICC tool for typical match scenarios, but for official matches, always use the ICC-certified software.
Does DLS apply to T20 matches?
Yes. The same resource percentages and formula apply — just set the match overs to 20. The DLS method scales correctly for any format.
What if Team 1's innings was also cut short?
This calculator covers the most common scenario: Team 1 bats their full allocation (or is bowled out). For cases where rain also interrupted Team 1's innings, the official DLS calculation becomes more complex. For those situations, consult a certified DLS tool.