The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method resets targets in rain-affected limited-overs cricket by measuring the 'resources' each side has, overs remaining combined with wickets in hand. Because wickets are weighted heavily, a revised target is rarely a straight pro-rata reduction, and a team that has lost early wickets is penalised more than the lost overs alone would suggest.
The problem DLS solves
If rain removes overs from the second innings, comparing the two sides on run rate alone is unfair. A team chasing 250 in 50 overs faces a different task from one chasing 150 in 25, the second can attack from the first ball with all ten wickets intact.
Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis addressed this in the 1990s; Steven Stern later revised it for modern scoring rates. It is now the ICC's official method.
Resources, not run rate
DLS treats a batting side as holding a stock of resources, expressed as a percentage. Two things determine it:
- Overs remaining, more overs, more resource.
- Wickets in hand, more wickets, more resource.
At the start of a 50-over innings a side has 100%. Both variables matter, and the interaction between them is where the method earns its keep.
Why wickets weigh so heavily
Consider two teams each with 25 overs left:
- Team A, no wickets down, close to full attacking capacity.
- Team B, eight wickets down, must survive, not score.
Identical overs, radically different capability. DLS prices that difference, which is why revised targets can look counter-intuitive to anyone expecting a simple proportional cut.
How a revised target is set
The method compares the resources actually available to each side. If the chasing team has fewer resources than the side batting first, the target is scaled down in proportion; if more, as when the first innings was itself curtailed, the target is scaled up, which is why chasing sides sometimes face a revised total higher than the original score.
Minimum overs
A result requires a minimum number of overs to have been bowled in the second innings, commonly 20 in an ODI and 5 in a T20, subject to the competition's playing conditions. Below that threshold the match is abandoned without a DLS result.
What weather actually changes
Beyond the arithmetic, conditions alter the game itself: overhead cloud can assist swing, a wet outfield slows the ball and cuts boundary value, and dew in the second innings of a day-night match can make the ball difficult to grip. These are cricket factors worth understanding in their own right.
Note that in-play betting on interrupted matches is prohibited in India under the Online Gaming Act 2025; this explainer covers the playing rule, not a wagering strategy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does DLS stand for?
Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, after the three statisticians who devised and later revised the method.
Why does the target sometimes go up?
If the side batting first lost overs, the chasing side may hold more resources per over, so the target scales up to keep the contest even.
How many overs are needed for a DLS result?
Commonly 20 in an ODI and 5 in a T20, though the exact threshold is set by each competition's playing conditions.
