Calculate a fair DLS target score for rain-interrupted cricket matches. Enter Team 1's total runs and wickets, then specify Team 2's overs available, wickets lost, and maximum overs — plus any overs lost to rain — to get the revised target using the Duckworth-Lewis method.
DLS Revised Target
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Team 1 Resources Used
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Team 2 Resources Available
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Par Score (to tie)
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Resource Ratio (T2/T1)
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The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method is a mathematical formula used in limited-overs cricket to calculate a revised target score when a match is interrupted by rain or bad light. It accounts for the two resources a batting team has available: overs remaining and wickets in hand. The method was developed by statisticians Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis and is now the official ICC standard.
Before DLS, rain interruptions were handled by simpler methods like 'most productive overs,' which were widely considered unfair. The DLS method solves the problem of fairly adjusting a target by recognising that a team's run-scoring potential depends on both overs remaining AND wickets in hand — not just overs. A team with 10 overs and 10 wickets plays very differently than one with 10 overs and 2 wickets.
When Team 2's innings is delayed (reduced overs from the start), you use Team 1's full resources (100% minus any overs lost in their innings) versus Team 2's reduced resources based on their available overs and wickets. The formula is: Par Score = Team 1's Score × (Team 2 Resources / Team 1 Resources). Our calculator handles this automatically when you select 'Team 2's innings delayed.'
In One Day Internationals, a minimum of 20 overs must be bowled to the team batting second for a DLS result to be valid. In T20 matches, the minimum is typically 5 overs. If rain prevents this minimum being reached, the match is either abandoned or declared a no-result, depending on the competition rules.
Resources refer to the combination of overs remaining and wickets in hand that a batting team possesses. The DLS method assigns a percentage value to each combination from a pre-calculated table. A team starting their innings (50 overs, 10 wickets) has 100% of their resources. As overs are bowled and wickets fall, that percentage decreases. The tables reflect how aggressive teams can realistically bat given their remaining resources.
Before DLS, the most common method was the 'Most Productive Overs' rule, where the target was based on the highest-scoring overs of the team batting first. Another method was the 'Average Run Rate' approach. Both were heavily criticised for producing unfair results — most famously in the 1992 World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa, where South Africa needed 22 runs from 1 ball after a rain break.
This calculator uses an approximation of the published DLS resource tables. The official DLS method uses a full proprietary table maintained by the ICC and administered by Stern (the 'S' in DLS). For official matches, always use the ICC-licensed software. This calculator is intended for educational purposes, practice matches, and informal games to give a close DLS approximation.
Yes, the DLS method is used in T20 international and domestic matches worldwide. The same resource percentage tables apply, but starting from 20 overs rather than 50. The minimum overs requirement for a valid DLS result in T20s is generally 5 overs for the team batting second, though competition regulations may vary.