Cricket, an intensely popular game globally, is quite straightforward but, at the same time, imposes some of the most difficult rules to understand. One such rule is the Duck-Worth Lewis system, which still confuses many. It is used to calculate the target score for the team batting second in a limited-overs match if the match has to be called off due to rain.
A similar situation exists with the Net Run Rate, popularly called NRR, which is used in international tournaments to measure a team’s performance.
In cricket, there is a parameter called Run Rate, which is determined by dividing the runs scored by the balls bowled. An over in cricket constitutes of six balls. So, if a team has scored 100 runs in 14 overs, the Run Rate would be calculated as 100 divided by 14 (100/14), which equals 7.14. However, if the team is 100 runs after 14.3 overs, it will be calculated as 100/14.5 which gives 6.89.
This is done simply to evaluate the performance of the team in that particular match when two teams are playing and nothing more. But what if it is a regional or ICC tournament already and multiple teams are playing in a group, and the question is—who comes out on top? This is where the Net Run Rate rule takes centre stage.
What is NRR?
Net Run Rate or NRR is a metric that basically ranks one team over another in a multi-national tournament of cricket. It is calculated between the teams taking part in a tournament with more than two countries. This is done only to make it clear, which team has been dominant in the tournament when two or more teams have ended up in the same position with equal points.
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How is NRR calculated?
A team’s NRR is obtained by dividing the total runs scored by the team in the tournament by the total number of balls faced by the team in the tournament. This quotient should then be deducted from the quotient of the total runs given away by the team in the tournament to the total number of balls bowled.
However, this varies slightly in the case where a team is bowled out before the completion of their overs. The rule provides that despite a team being dismissed well before its allotted overs, the NRR calculation will still be based on the full quota of overs and not on the number of overs after which the team has been put out.
In addition, it is important to remember that NRR will come into play only when a game is finished and not when it’s called off. However, NRR will still count in the rain-affected matches that are forced to apply the Duck-Worth Lewis system to get a result. In this situation the team that batted first will be assigned one less run than the final target score set for the team batting 2 to reach through the DLS method. Then the rest of the calculations that follow will be the same.
Here is a brief explanation of the procedure that will be used to calculate the Net Run Rate in a cricket tournament. The NRR becomes one of the deciding factors in a multi-nation series and ICC tournaments for teams that will move on to the next rounds.
Understanding NRR through examples
There have been many instances when teams had their fate regarding knockout spots sealed or reversed due to their Net Run Rate.
They used the last ICC World Cup in 2019 as an example to illustrate this point. The league or, for that matter, the Super 10 stage went down to the wire, and NRR consequently confirmed who the 4th semi-finalist was. It was New Zealand, who eventually became the runners-up, that was the lucky one regarding this NRR. Pakistan and New Zealand ended up with 11 points after 9 matches each and with both teams having 5 wins. However, the black caps had a better NRR of 0.175 as compared to Pakistan’s -0.430. Therefore, New Zealand moved on, and Pakistan was eliminated.
From game 1 a team that is aware of the NRR will not only win the tournament but also have a smooth ride through the entire tournament process.
