Three numbers with different jobs
| Number | What it tells you | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Current run rate | Runs scored per six legal balls so far | Use runs and balls already faced |
| Required run rate | Runs needed per six legal balls remaining | Use the currently announced target and innings length |
| Par score / revised target | A match-rule decision using the applicable resource method | Read the published match decision; do not derive it with this calculator |
A par score and a target are also different concepts. Follow the wording of the official match announcement before deciding how many runs are still required.
A hypothetical shortened chase
A chasing side is 70 after 10 overs. After an interruption, suppose the published match decision states a target of 121 in 15 overs. The side now needs 51 runs from 30 legal balls: a required rate of 10.20.
Our example starts with the announced 121. It does not explain or validate how that target was set. Multiplying an original 20-over target by 15/20 would ignore information used by the applicable resource method, and could give the wrong answer.
Enter the new target and 15.0 in the run-rate calculator. Verify that balls remaining is 30, then compare the output to the live situation.
While play is suspended
Look for the status, expected inspection or restart information and a dated source update. “Rain delay” is not the same as abandoned, and a provisional restart time is not a completed decision. Wait for a published revised target and overs limit before recalculating.
If you are following a fantasy contest, its rain, abandoned-match and settlement rules are a separate question. Read the rules of that exact contest. A cricket result does not, by itself, establish a refund or points settlement. The support evidence checklist helps you record the relevant contest identifier if needed.