Net run rate, or NRR, decides more tournament places than almost any other number. When two teams finish level on points, the one with the higher NRR usually goes through. Yet it is widely misunderstood, and small mistakes in working it out are common. This guide explains exactly how it works, with examples you can check using our NRR calculator.
The one-line definition
Net run rate is the average runs per over a team scores, minus the average runs per over it concedes, across the whole tournament.
NRR = (total runs scored ÷ total overs faced) − (total runs conceded ÷ total overs bowled)
A positive NRR means a team scores faster than its opponents. A negative one means it scores more slowly.
Rule 1: overs are not ordinary decimals
An over has six balls, so cricket writes “19 overs and 4 balls” as 19.4. For the maths, that is 19 + 4/6 = 19.667 overs. If you divide by 19.4 instead, every rate comes out slightly too high.
Example: 160 runs in 19.4 overs is a run rate of 160 ÷ 19.667 = 8.14, not 160 ÷ 19.4 = 8.25. Our overs converter shows the true decimal value for any figure.
Rule 2: all out counts as the full quota
If a team is bowled out before its overs are up, the calculation uses the full quota of overs: 20 in a T20 or 50 in an ODI. It does not use the overs actually faced.
Without this rule, a team bowled out for 150 in 15 overs would get a batting rate of 10 an over and be rewarded for collapsing. With the rule, that innings counts as 150 in 20 overs, or 7.5 an over.
The same rule applies to the opponent. If you bowl a side out, its runs are divided by the full quota, which is good for your NRR.
Rule 3: totals first, then divide
NRR is not the average of each match’s NRR. You add up all the runs and all the overs for the whole tournament, and only then divide. A big defeat in a long innings can outweigh two narrow wins, because every over is weighted equally.
Worked example: three matches
| Match | Scored | Conceded | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 185 in 20 | 170 in 20 | Won by 15 runs |
| 2 | 150 all out in 18.2 (counts as 20) | 151 in 17.3 | Lost |
| 3 | 160 in 19.4 | 158 in 20 | Won |
- Runs scored: 185 + 150 + 160 = 495, in 20 + 20 + 19.667 = 59.667 overs → 8.296 per over
- Runs conceded: 170 + 151 + 158 = 479, in 20 + 17.5 + 20 = 57.5 overs → 8.330 per over
- NRR = 8.296 − 8.330 = −0.034
Two wins from three, but a slightly negative NRR. The quick chase in match 2 (151 in 17.3 overs), against an innings counted as a full 20 overs, cost more than the narrow wins earned.
Rain-affected and abandoned matches
- No result or abandoned: the match is ignored for NRR. None of its runs or overs count.
- Revised target (DLS): the side batting first is treated as having scored one run less than the revised target, off the overs the chasing side was given. The chasing side’s actual runs and overs count as normal.
How much can one match move NRR?
Late in a season, a team has scored 1520 runs in 158.2 overs and conceded 1490 in 160 overs. Its NRR is +0.288. A rival is on +0.400, level on points.
- Batting first with 185, it must restrict the opponent to 158 or fewer (a 27-run win) to go to +0.405. Conceding 159 would leave it on +0.395, just short.
- Chasing 170, it must win within 17.2 overs to reach +0.404.
That is why teams near the cut-off talk about “chasing it in 17 overs”: they are doing this exact calculation. Run your own scenario in the NRR qualification calculator.
Common mistakes checklist
- Dividing by 19.4 instead of 19.667.
- Using overs actually faced when a side was all out.
- Including washed-out matches.
- Averaging match-by-match NRRs instead of using totals.
- Adding super-over runs. Only the main match counts.
Written by Basant Upadhyay. Every figure in this guide was worked out with the calculators on this site. Last reviewed September 2026.
