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How to calculate NRR in cricket?

Net Run Rate (NRR) is essential in cricket, particularly in ODIs and T20s, as it serves as a tiebreaker for teams with equal points. Here is how you can calculate NRR in cricket.

Koushik Biswas
Oct 05, 2025
How to calculate NRR in cricket?
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Net Run Rate (NRR) is a crucial statistic in cricket, especially in limited-overs formats like One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20) tournaments. It serves as a tiebreaker to rank teams that have equal points in league or round-robin stages of a competition. Here is how you can calculate NRR in cricket.

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What is Net Run Rate?

Net Run Rate measures the difference between the average number of runs a team scores per over and the average number of runs scored against it per over. In other words, it compares scoring speed versus the speed at which the team concedes runs.

A positive NRR indicates the team scores faster than its opponents, suggesting dominance, while a negative NRR indicates it scores slower and potentially struggles.

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Basic formula for NRR

The Net Run Rate for a single match is calculated as:

Net Run Rate Formula

Net Run Rate (NRR) Formula

NRR = ( Runs scored by the team Overs faced by the team ) ( Runs conceded by the team Overs bowled by the team )

Where:

  • Runs scored and conceded are the total runs by the team and by the opposition.

  • Overs faced or bowled include partial overs converted to decimals (e.g. 47.2 overs is 47 + 2/6 = 47.33 overs).

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Step-by-Step calculation of NRR in a catch

  • Calculate the team’s run rate: Divide the total runs scored by the total overs faced.
  • Calculate the opposition’s run rate: Divide the total runs conceded by the total overs bowled.
  • Subtract the opposition’s run rate from the team’s run rate: This difference is the NRR for that match.
  • Example:

    If Team A scores 250 runs in 50 overs, and Team B scores 200 runs in 50 overs, then:

  • Team A’s run rate = 250 ÷ 50 = 5.00 runs per over
  • Team B’s run rate = 200 ÷ 50 = 4.00 runs per over
  • Team A’s NRR = 5.00 − 4.00 = +1.00 (positive means Team A scored faster)
  • If Team B lost but scored 180 runs in 19 overs and were all out in a 20-over game, we consider the full 20 overs for the calculation:

  • Team B’s run rate = 180 ÷ 20 = 9.00 runs per over
  • Calculating NRR over a tournament

    To calculate the Net Run Rate (NRR) over multiple matches, aggregate all runs scored and runs conceded across matches and divide by the total overs faced and bowled, respectively:

    Tournament Net Run Rate Formula

    Tournament Net Run Rate (NRR) Formula

    Tournament NRR = ( Total runs scored in all matches Total overs faced in all matches ) ( Total runs conceded in all matches Total overs bowled in all matches )

    This calculation gives a performance indicator over the entire tournament. For example:

  • Total runs scored = 1500 runs
  • Total overs faced = 250 overs
  • Total runs conceded = 1400 runs
  • Total overs bowled = 245 overs
  • Then, Tournament NRR=1500/250−1400/245=6.00−5.71=+0.29

    Important considerations in calculating NRR

  • When a team is all out before using their full overs, their full quota of overs is still considered for run rate calculation. For example, in a 50-over match, a team bowled out in 42 overs is considered to have faced 50 overs for NRR purposes.
  • If the match is shortened due to rain or other reasons, use the actual number of overs played.
  • Partial overs are converted by dividing balls bowled by six (e.g. 47.2 overs is 47.33 overs).
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