Net Run Rate Calculator
Net run rate, or NRR, measures how fast a team scores compared with how fast it concedes. Enter the runs and overs for both innings below to get the figure for a single match, or enter season totals to get it for a whole tournament.
Calculate net run rate
Your net run rate appears here once both innings are filled in.
The net run rate formula
Net run rate compares two run rates. The first is how quickly your team scored. The second is how quickly the opposition scored against you. The difference between them is the net figure.
NRR = (runs scored ÷ overs faced) − (runs conceded ÷ overs bowled)
A run rate on its own tells you scoring speed for one innings. Net run rate puts both innings side by side, which is why it works as a tie breaker. A team that wins by chasing quickly, or by defending a total and restricting the other side, ends up with a healthy positive number.
The all out rule that trips people up
There is one rule that changes the answer more than any other. When a team is bowled out before it uses all of its overs, the calculation does not use the overs it actually faced. It uses the full quota for that format.
Picture a 50 over match. A side is bowled out for 120 in 35 overs. For net run rate, that innings counts as 120 runs from 50 overs, not from 35. The reason is fairness. A team that loses all its wickets has, in effect, used up its full opportunity to bat, so it is charged the full quota. The calculator above applies this for you when you tick the bowled out box.
How to calculate it step by step
- Find your team's run rate. Divide the runs your team scored by the overs it faced. If your team was bowled out, divide by the full quota instead.
- Find the run rate you conceded. Divide the runs the opponent scored by the overs they faced, again using the full quota if they were bowled out.
- Subtract the second number from the first. A positive answer means you scored faster than you conceded.
- For a tournament, add every team innings together first, then every bowling innings, and apply the same subtraction to the totals.
A worked example
Take a T20 match with 20 overs per side. Your team scores 187 from its full 20 overs. You then bowl the opponent out for 165 in 18.2 overs.
- Your run rate is 187 ÷ 20, which is 9.35 runs per over.
- The opponent was bowled out, so even though they batted 18.2 overs, the rule charges them the full 20. Their run rate is 165 ÷ 20, which is 8.25 runs per over.
- Net run rate is 9.35 − 8.25, which is +1.10.
If you had instead used the 18.2 overs they actually faced, you would get a misleading figure. That single rule is the most common reason a hand calculation disagrees with the official table. Enter these numbers in the tool above and tick the opponent bowled out box to see the same +1.10 result.
Net run rate across a tournament vs single match
Across a league or tournament, net run rate is cumulative. Every run a team scores and every over it faces is added to one running total, and the same is done for runs conceded and overs bowled. Important: You cannot calculate tournament net run rate by simply averaging the Net Run Rates of each individual match. Averaging matches gives equal weight to all games, whereas matches have different durations, and bowling a team out early changes the overs denominator. To find the correct season NRR, you must sum all runs and overs globally first, and then perform the calculation.
To use the tool for a season, set the format to Other, then enter your team's total runs and total overs faced across all matches, followed by the totals you conceded. The output is your tournament net run rate.
How we calculate this
The tool follows the net run rate definition used in the International Cricket Council playing conditions for limited overs matches, including the rule that a team bowled out is charged the full quota of overs. Overs entered in cricket notation are converted so that each ball counts as one sixth of an over. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Tips and practical advice
To improve your team's NRR, focus on both winning by large margins when possible and chasing targets quickly rather than just getting over the line. When batting first, posting big totals matters because NRR rewards runs scored relative to overs used. When bowling, taking all 10 wickets (or bowling the full quota) gives a clearer denominator. Remember the all-out rule: if a team is bowled out, the full allocation of overs is used in the calculation, which can significantly affect NRR.
Cricket Analytics Resources
Use these related tools to manage other match-day calculations:
- Run Rate Calculator: Calculate current and required run rates for live run-chases.
- Duckworth-Lewis Calculator: Work out revised targets and par scores for rain-interrupted games.
- Cricket Over Calculator: Convert cricket overs notation into total deliveries and vice versa.
- Team Points Calculator: Calculate standings points and points-per-game stats for league tables.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good net run rate?
Any positive net run rate is good, because it means a team scores faster than it concedes across its matches. In a tight league a figure above +0.500 is usually strong, while anything below zero can cost a team a place even on level points.
How does being all out affect net run rate?
When a team is bowled out before using its full overs, the calculation still uses the full quota of overs rather than the overs actually faced. A side all out for 120 in 35 overs of a 50 over game is treated as scoring 120 from 50 overs.
How do you calculate net run rate for a tournament?
Add up all the runs your team has scored and divide by the total overs faced across every match. Do the same for runs conceded and overs bowled. Net run rate is the first figure minus the second.
Can net run rate be negative?
Yes. If a team concedes runs faster than it scores them, its net run rate is negative. A negative figure often decides which team misses out when points are level.
Does a rain affected match change the calculation?
In a match shortened by rain, the revised target and overs set by the officials are the figures you use. Enter the runs and the official overs for each side and the tool handles the rest.