When the DLS method triggers
The DLS method triggers when the match is interrupted by rain or another factor that reduces the number of overs available to one or both sides. The method applies in ODI cricket and T20I cricket. The method does not apply in Test cricket, where the result is determined by runs and wickets over five days.
The method triggers at any point during the match, not just at the interval. The method triggers if the interruption lasts long enough to reduce the available overs by the threshold set by the ICC playing conditions.
How the calculation works
The DLS method takes two inputs: the resources available to the side batting first (overs and wickets) and the resources available to the side batting second. The method produces a ratio. The ratio is multiplied by the first-innings score to produce the par score for the chasing side at any point in the second innings.
The par score is not a target. The par score is the score the chasing side should be on at any point in the second innings, given the resources they have left. If the chasing side is on the par score, they are exactly level. If the chasing side is above the par score, they are ahead. If the chasing side is below the par score, they are behind.
What the par score changes for the chasing side
The par score changes the chasing side’s required rate. The required rate is the score they need to score from the remaining overs to win. If the chasing side is on the par score, the required rate is the rate implied by the par score. If the chasing side is above the par score, the required rate is lower. If the chasing side is below the par score, the required rate is higher.
The par score also changes the captaincy decisions. The captain of the chasing side will bat more aggressively if they are below the par score. The captain of the chasing side will bat more conservatively if they are above the par score. The par score is the benchmark the captain is working to.
The gap between the par score and the target
The target is the score the chasing side has to reach to win. The target is set by the DLS calculation at the moment the match is interrupted. The par score is a moving benchmark throughout the second innings. The two are not the same.
The gap between the par score and the target is the cushion the chasing side has built or lost. A positive gap means the chasing side is ahead of the game. A negative gap means the chasing side is behind.
What changed in the latest revision
The DLS method was revised by the ICC in 2014 and again in 2023. The 2014 revision changed the way the resources were calculated for T20 matches. The 2023 revision changed the calculation for matches where the interruption is at the start of the second innings.
The 2023 revision also changed the way the par score is communicated. Under the previous version, the par score was communicated as a single number. Under the current version, the par score is communicated as a range, with the low par and the high par shown separately.
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