When rain shortens a limited-overs cricket match, the chasing team does not simply receive the first innings run rate multiplied by its new number of overs. The Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method, usually called DLS, compares the scoring resources available to both teams.
Those resources are overs and wickets. A side with 20 overs remaining and ten wickets in hand has far more scoring potential than a side with the same 20 overs but only three wickets left.
Why simple run rate would be unfair
Imagine a team begins a 50-over innings believing it can build carefully and attack later. Rain then reduces the chase to 20 overs. A straightforward run-rate target would ignore the fact that the chasing side can take greater risks from the first ball because it has all ten wickets for a shorter innings.
The reverse can also happen. If rain arrives late in a chase after several wickets have fallen, the batting team has already used much of its resource. DLS accounts for that lost capacity.
The resource percentage
The method uses statistical tables or computer calculations to assign a percentage of innings resources for each combination of overs remaining and wickets lost. A full uninterrupted innings begins with 100%.
When an interruption occurs, officials record the resources available before and after the stoppage. The difference represents what the batting side lost because of rain.
Exact resource values are part of the official calculation, so spectators cannot reproduce every target from a basic formula shown on television.
When the first innings is shortened
If rain interrupts the team batting first, that side may have planned for more overs than it ultimately receives. Its final score is therefore judged against the resources it actually used.
The chasing team's target is calculated after comparing the resource percentages. If the second team receives more resources than the first, its target can be higher than the original score by more than one run.
When the chase is interrupted
During the second innings, DLS can produce a par score at the moment play stops. The par score is the total that would make the match level after accounting for overs and wickets already used.
To win, the chasing team generally needs one run more than par. Broadcast graphics may show “DLS par” and “target” separately, which is why the numbers can differ by one.
Wickets change the target quickly
A lost wicket reduces future scoring potential. If two wickets fall immediately before rain, the par score can rise even though few balls were bowled.
This does not mean the method punishes a team twice. The wickets represent resources that are no longer available when play resumes or the result is calculated.
Minimum overs still apply
A result cannot normally be declared until the chasing side has faced the minimum number of overs required by the competition rules, unless it reaches the target earlier. The minimum differs between formats and tournaments.
If play cannot reach that threshold, the match may be abandoned or recorded as no result despite a DLS projection being available.
Why targets sometimes surprise fans
The calculation reflects when the rain occurred, how many wickets were down, the original innings length and whether either side gained or lost resources. Two matches with the same score and overs can therefore receive different targets if the wicket situation differs.
Penalties, revised playing conditions and multiple interruptions can add further adjustments. The match officials' announced target is the authoritative figure.
The bottom line
DLS treats overs and wickets as the two resources that drive scoring in limited-overs cricket. It compares what each team could use rather than relying on average run rate. That cannot remove every tactical disadvantage caused by weather, but it produces a more balanced target than simple arithmetic. Explore more rule guides in Cricket and learn how to read a cricket scorecard.
