The DLS method in cricket adjusts the chasing team’s target when interruptions reduce the available overs. DLS stands for Duckworth–Lewis–Stern. It considers overs remaining and wickets lost together, rather than simply reducing the target in proportion to the overs removed.
Rain stops a match. The players return, the overs have changed, and the scoreboard displays a new target. Why does that number sometimes look higher than a straightforward run-rate calculation suggests?
The answer is that ten overs with nine wickets left offer a different scoring opportunity from ten overs with only two wickets left. DLS accounts for that difference. This guide explains the principle, how to read a par score and what a revised target means.
What Is the Duckworth Lewis Stern Method?
The Duckworth Lewis Stern method is a statistical system for adjusting targets in interrupted limited-overs cricket. It is used when lost playing time changes the scoring opportunities available to the two teams.
Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis developed the original D/L method. Steven Stern’s later work led to the DLS version. The ICC’s explanation of the DLS system describes its introduction into international cricket in 2014 and subsequent updates using scoring data.
For the underlying match structures, start with our guides to ODI cricket and T20 cricket.
How Does the DLS Method in Cricket Work?
DLS compares the run-scoring resources available to each team: its overs and wickets. If an interruption removes overs, the calculation assesses the resources lost at that stage of the innings.
Imagine two teams both on 100 after 15 overs. One has lost two wickets; the other has lost eight. Their scores and overs are identical, but their ability to use the remaining deliveries is different.
A team with wickets available can usually take more risks. A team close to being bowled out has fewer batters left to use those overs. The ICC’s DLS methodology FAQs explain why the value of overs and wickets depends on their combination.
The timing of the interruption also matters. Losing overs at the beginning of an innings is different from losing them after a team has spent most of its innings building towards a final attack.
Why Is DLS Different From an Ordinary Run-Rate Calculation?
A simple run-rate calculation treats every over as equally valuable; DLS considers the match situation. That is why halving the available overs does not automatically halve the target.
Suppose a side scores 200 in 20 overs. Multiplying 200 by 10/20 gives 100. That is correct arithmetic, but it does not establish an official ten-over DLS target.
The chasing team may still have all ten wickets available for a shorter innings. It can approach that chase differently from a team that originally expected to bat for 20 overs. The ICC’s explanation of the original Duckworth–Lewis principle makes this distinction between overs and scoring resources.
What Is the Difference Between DLS Par Score and Target?
A DLS par score is the score that leaves the teams level at the relevant stoppage. A winning target is one run above the corresponding par score. The live par score can change as deliveries are bowled and wickets fall.
If the chase ends prematurely and a result is possible, the officials compare the chasing team’s score with par at that point. Being above par during play does not end the match while the chase can continue.
| Term | Meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| DLS par score | The score required to be level at the relevant point | Overs completed and wickets lost |
| Revised target | The total required to win in the revised innings | The new target and total overs allocated |
| Runs still needed | Revised target minus runs already scored | Current score and balls remaining |
DLS Calculation Example: Reading a Revised Target
If the announced revised target is 151 and the chasing team has already scored 90, it needs another 61 runs. Always subtract the current total from the new target, rather than treating the revised target as additional runs.
Imagine a fictional T20 chase interrupted after ten overs, with Team B on 90/2. Officials announce a revised target of 151 from a total of 15 overs.
Team B has five overs left and needs 151 − 90 = 61 runs from 30 legal balls. Its required rate is 61 ÷ 5 = 12.2 runs per over.
The target of 151 is assumed for this example; it has not been generated by DLS software. The working shows how to read an announced target. It does not reproduce the statistical model that sets it.
DLS Par Score Example: When Rain Ends the Chase
If a chase is terminated with a valid result possible, a score above par wins, a score below par loses, and a score equal to par is a tie. Any further procedure for a tied match depends on the competition.
Suppose officials announce a par score of 100 at the stoppage. These hypothetical scores show the comparison:
| Chasing team’s score | Comparison with par | DLS outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 105 | Five runs above par | Wins by five runs |
| 100 | Equal to par | Tie |
| 97 | Three runs below par | Loses by three runs |
In a real example, Pakistan finished on 119/3 after 27 overs against South Africa at the 2017 Champions Trophy. The par score was 100. With no further play possible, Pakistan won by 19 runs, as the ICC’s match report records. This historical result is separate from the supplied featured image.
When Can the DLS Method in ODI and T20 Produce a Result?
The DLS method in ODI and T20 cricket can produce a result only when the match meets the applicable playing conditions. Rain does not automatically turn every interrupted chase into a DLS result.
Standard ODI conditions normally require the chasing side to receive at least 20 overs, unless a result is achieved earlier. Many T20 competitions use five overs. Some knockout matches require more: the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup conditions specify ten overs for the semi-finals and final.
Check the ICC playing conditions for the relevant format and event. If the necessary play cannot be completed, the match may finish as a no-result.
Can You Calculate an Official DLS Target With a Simple Formula?
An official modern DLS target requires the approved calculation system and the full interruption details. The first-innings score and revised over limit alone are not enough to reproduce every target.
Online explanations can demonstrate the resource principle, but a simplified percentage example should not be presented as an official calculation. For a live match, use the target announced by the officials.
DLS also differs from net run rate. DLS adjusts a match target or helps determine a result; NRR compares scoring rates across eligible tournament matches. Our net run rate guide explains why rain-affected results can require special NRR adjustments.
FAQs About the DLS Method in Cricket
These short answers explain the Duckworth Lewis Stern method, DLS par score and the DLS method in ODI and T20 matches. Use them alongside the examples to understand what changes when rain interrupts a chase.
1. What is the full form of DLS in cricket?
DLS stands for Duckworth–Lewis–Stern. It is the method used to adjust targets in interrupted limited-overs matches.
2. Why do wickets matter in the DLS method?
Wickets affect a team’s ability to score from its remaining overs. The calculation therefore considers wickets and overs together.
3. Is DLS par score the same as the winning target?
No. Par represents a level score at the relevant point. The corresponding winning target is one run higher.
4. Does being ahead of DLS par mean the team has already won?
No. If play continues, the chase continues. Par determines the outcome only when the innings is terminated and the conditions permit a result.
5. Does DLS apply in Test cricket?
No. DLS adjusts interrupted limited-overs matches. Rain in Test cricket reduces available playing time rather than creating a DLS target.
6. Is a revised target the number of extra runs needed?
No. It is the total needed to win. Subtract the chasing team’s current score to find the runs still required.
