Quick answer
Run rate is the average number of runs a batting side scores per over. Divide the runs by the overs faced: a team on 120 after 15 overs has a run rate of 8.00. The scoreboard shows it as CRR, the current run rate, and it's the first number to check against a live session line on KhelKing.
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Run rate is runs divided by overs, or runs × 6 divided by balls faced.
- 15.3 overs means 15 overs and 3 balls, which is 15.5 as a decimal.
- Required run rate is runs still needed divided by overs remaining, and the target is one more than the first innings total.
- Dividing a session line by the overs it covers shows the run rate that line expects.
- A bowled-out side counts as facing its full overs when net run rate is worked out.
What is the cricket run rate formula?
Run rate is runs scored divided by overs bowled. The only catch is that overs have to be a proper decimal before you divide. If you'd rather skip that step, count balls instead: multiply the runs by 6 and divide by the balls faced. Both methods give the same answer.
- Run rate = runs scored ÷ overs faced.
- Run rate = (runs scored × 6) ÷ balls faced.
- Required run rate = runs still needed ÷ overs remaining.
- Projected score = current run rate × total overs in the innings.
How do you convert overs like 15.3 for a run rate calculation?
An over has six balls, so the number after the point counts balls. 15.3 overs means 15 overs and 3 balls, which is 15.5 as a decimal. Dividing by 15.3 is the most common run rate mistake, and it makes the rate look slightly higher than it is.
| Scoreboard shows | Balls bowled in the over | Decimal to divide by |
|---|---|---|
| x.1 | 1 | x.167 |
| x.2 | 2 | x.333 |
| x.3 | 3 | x.5 |
| x.4 | 4 | x.667 |
| x.5 | 5 | x.833 |
How do you calculate run rate? Three examples
Start with whole overs, then take a score from the middle of an over. A T20 side on 87 after 10.4 overs has faced 64 balls, so its rate is 87 × 6 ÷ 64, which is 8.16. Kept up for all 20 overs, that projects to about 163.
| Score | Overs | Working | Run rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 180 | 20 | 180 ÷ 20 | 9.00 |
| 285 | 50 | 285 ÷ 50 | 5.70 |
| 87 | 10.4 (64 balls) | 87 × 6 ÷ 64 | 8.16 |
What is the required run rate?
The required run rate is how many runs per over the chasing side needs from the overs left. The target is always one more than the first innings total, so a side that makes 180 sets a target of 181. The scoreboard shows it as RRR, and it changes after every ball.
How do you work out the required run rate in a chase?
Subtract the current score from the target, then divide by the overs remaining. Chasing 181 at 98 for 3 after 12 overs, a team needs 83 from 8 overs, a required rate of 10.38. Counting in balls is easier mid-over. Chasing 165 at 120 after 15.2 overs, it needs 45 from 28 balls, which is 45 × 6 ÷ 28, or 9.64.
| Target | Score now | Runs needed | Balls left | Required run rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 181 | 98 after 12 overs | 83 | 48 | 10.38 |
| 165 | 120 after 15.2 overs | 45 | 28 | 9.64 |
What does the gap between current and required run rate tell you?
When the current rate is above the required rate, the chase is ahead of the pace it needs. When it falls below, pressure builds, and a required rate above 12 in the last five overs of a T20 is hard to reach. Wickets in hand matter as much as the gap. A side needing 10 an over with eight wickets left can still swing hard, and the same side with two wickets left often can't. On KhelKing, live match odds and session lines move with both numbers, which is why prices shift so much after a big over or a wicket.
What is net run rate?
Net run rate, or NRR, ranks teams level on points in a tournament table. It's a team's run rate across all its matches minus the run rate scored against it. Two rules catch people out. A side that's bowled out counts as having faced its full quota of overs, so all out for 150 in 18.2 overs is treated as 150 in 20. And NRR uses tournament totals, so you can't average each match's figure.
| Runs scored | Overs faced | Runs conceded | Overs bowled | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1: scores 180/6, opponents make 165/8 | 180 | 20 | 165 | 20 |
| Match 2: all out for 150 in 18.2, opponents chase it with 151/4 in 17 overs | 150 | 20 (all out counts as full) | 151 | 17 |
| Tournament total | 330 | 40 | 316 | 37 |
| Net run rate | 330 ÷ 40 = 8.25 | 316 ÷ 37 = 8.54 | 8.25 − 8.54 = −0.29 |
The net run rate guide works through a full three-match example and the rain rules.
How do KhelKing cricket markets use run rate?
Run rate is the quickest way to judge whether a live line looks high or low. A 10-over session line is close to a run rate forecast multiplied by 10, and an innings line works the same way for the full innings. At 38 for 0 after four overs, a side scoring 9.5 an over projects to 57 by the end of over six. That projection is a starting point, because the line already allows for wickets, bowlers and the pitch.
- Divide a session line by the overs it covers to see the run rate it expects.
- In a chase, weigh the required run rate against wickets in hand before backing either side.
- Read the rules for rain-hit games. A revised DLS target changes the required run rate, and a session can be void if the overs are cut after it opened.
- Treat a projected score as rough. Run rates usually climb at the death and stall after early wickets.
What are the most common run rate mistakes?
- Dividing by 15.3 when the team has faced 15 overs and 3 balls. Use 15.5, or count balls.
- Forgetting that the target is one run more than the first innings total.
- Using the overs actually faced for a bowled-out side in net run rate.
- Averaging match-by-match NRR. In the example above that gives −0.32 instead of the correct −0.29.
Still wondering?
Frequently asked questions
01What is the formula for run rate in cricket?
Runs scored divided by overs faced. You can also multiply the runs by 6 and divide by the balls faced, which avoids converting overs to decimals.
02How do you calculate the required run rate?
Divide the runs still needed by the overs remaining. A team needing 83 from 8 overs has a required run rate of 10.38.
03How do you convert 10.4 overs into a decimal?
10.4 overs is 10 overs and 4 balls, which is 10.667. Or use 64 balls and multiply the runs by 6 before dividing.
04What is a good run rate in T20 cricket?
As a rough guide, 8 to 9 an over, a total of 160 to 180, is competitive at most grounds. Batting-friendly venues and recent IPL seasons have pushed winning scores higher.
05What is the difference between run rate and net run rate?
Run rate measures one team's scoring speed in an innings. Net run rate is a tournament figure, run rate scored minus run rate conceded, used to separate teams level on points.
06Does run rate change in a rain-affected match?
The formula doesn't. Under DLS the chasing side may get a revised target over fewer overs, so the required run rate is worked out from that new target.
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Written by
KhelKing Cricket Desk
IPL, T20 and international cricket
The cricket desk writes KhelKing's match previews and market guides, from toss and session lines to Dream11 picks, and checks each market name against the live exchange before a post goes up.
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