The DLS method, short for Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, is the system cricket uses to set a fair target when rain or bad light cuts overs from a limited-overs match. It does not simply divide runs by overs. It measures how many overs and wickets each team still had, called resources, and adjusts the target to match.
Every time rain stops an India match during the monsoon or a World Cup, the same question trends online: how did the target suddenly become 148 off 16 overs? The answer is a mathematical method that most fans never see but that the ICC has used in one-day and T20 cricket for more than 25 years. Here is how it works, without the heavy maths.
Why cricket needed a new method
Before DLS, cricket tried simpler rules, such as average run rate or the most productive overs method. They often produced strange results. The most famous example came in the 1992 World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa in Sydney. After a short rain break, South Africa’s target was revised to more than 20 runs off a single ball, which made a close chase impossible.
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That match pushed English statistician Frank Duckworth to look for a mathematical solution. He worked with fellow statistician Tony Lewis, and their method was first used in an international match on 1 January 1997, when Zimbabwe played England in an ODI. The ICC formally adopted it in 1999.
Where the “Stern” comes from
After Duckworth and Lewis retired, Australian statistician Steven Stern took over the method. He updated it to reflect how scoring patterns had changed, especially the higher scores in modern one-day cricket. The method was renamed Duckworth-Lewis-Stern in November 2014, and the updated version was used at the 2015 World Cup.
The key idea: resources
DLS treats a team’s batting innings as a store of two resources: overs remaining and wickets in hand. At the start of a 50-over innings, a team has 100% of its resources. As overs pass and wickets fall, the percentage drops.
The important point is that these two resources work together. Ten overs left with nine wickets in hand is worth far more than ten overs left with two wickets in hand, because a team with more wickets can attack harder. This is why losing wickets before a rain break often hurts the chasing side under DLS.
The method uses a large table, built from data on thousands of matches, that gives the resource percentage for every combination of overs left and wickets lost. Match officials and scorers use official software, so nobody on the ground is doing the maths by hand.
How a revised target is set
When overs are lost, DLS compares the resources available to both teams. If the team batting second gets fewer resources than the team batting first, its target comes down. If it gets more, the target can actually go up.
A simple version of the logic goes like this. Suppose Team 1 scores 254 in a full innings and Team 2 ends up with only 90% of the resources because of a rain break. Team 2’s par score is 90% of 254, which is 228.6. The target is the par score rounded up, so Team 2 needs 229 to win, while 228 would be a tie. This example appears on the Wikipedia page for the method.
In real matches, the calculation is more detailed, especially when the first innings is also cut short, but the principle stays the same.
What is the par score?
The par score is the score the chasing team should have at any point to be level in the match, given the overs and wickets it has used. You will often see it on TV graphics during a rain threat, shown as “DLS par” next to the live score.
If rain ends the match and no more play is possible, the team batting second wins if it is ahead of par, and loses if it is behind. This is why captains and coaches send notes to the batters about par scores whenever dark clouds appear.
Minimum overs needed for a result
| Format | Minimum overs each side must face for a result |
|---|---|
| One-day international (50 overs) | 20 overs |
| Twenty20 international (20 overs) | 5 overs |
If the team batting second cannot face at least this many overs, the match is declared a no result, unless it has already won or lost.
Common myths about DLS
- Myth: DLS always favours the chasing team. It does not. It tries to compensate for lost overs fairly. Some matches feel unfair because one team batted in better conditions, which no formula can measure.
- Myth: Target equals run rate multiplied by overs. This ignores wickets in hand, which is the main reason DLS targets look higher than simple run rate maths.
- Myth: The umpires calculate it on the spot. The calculation is done through ICC-approved software, and officials communicate the revised target to both teams.
Is there an alternative?
Indian engineer V Jayadevan proposed another system, often called the VJD method, as an alternative to DLS. Researchers keep suggesting new models too, such as a 2022 study in PeerJ Computer Science that weighs individual player form, but the ICC continues to use DLS in international cricket. In franchise leagues like the IPL, DLS is also the standard method for rain-hit games.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the full form of DLS in cricket?
DLS stands for Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, after statisticians Frank Duckworth, Tony Lewis and Steven Stern.
Can DLS increase the target?
Yes. If the chasing team ends up with more resources than the team that batted first, for example when the first innings was interrupted, the revised target can be higher than the original score plus one.
How many overs are needed for a DLS result in T20?
In a T20 match, the team batting second must face at least five overs for a result, unless the match is already decided.
Is DLS used in Test cricket?
No. DLS is used only in limited-overs cricket. Test matches have no fixed overs per innings, so lost time leads to a draw rather than a revised target.
Sources: Wikipedia: Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, PeerJ Computer Science study on interrupted matches (PMC).
