In one line
- NRR = how fast you scored, minus how fast you let the opposition score.
- Higher is better. It rewards winning big.
- Bowled out? You still count your full quota of overs.
When a league table has two teams on the same points, you need a fair way to separate them. Net run rate is that tiebreaker. It looks intimidating, but it's just two run rates subtracted.
The formula
You add up every run and every over across the whole tournament, not per match. The first bracket is your batting run rate. The second is the run rate you allowed while bowling. Subtract the second from the first and you have your NRR. A positive number means you generally outscored your opponents' pace; a negative number means the opposite.
The rule people get wrong
If a team is bowled out before using all its overs, its innings still counts as the full quota of overs for NRR. So if a team is all out for 140 in 16 of a 20-over game, you divide those 140 runs by 20, not 16. The logic: getting bowled out is a full failure of the innings, so you don't get rewarded for using fewer overs.
Note the asymmetry: a team that is bowled out counts full overs, but a team that chases down a target and wins early counts only the overs it actually used. Winning quickly helps your NRR.
A worked example
Team A plays two 20-over matches. Here's every innings that touches Team A's NRR:
| Match | Innings | Runs | Overs counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team A batting | 180 | 20.0 |
| 1 | Team B, all out for 140 in 16 overs | 140 | 20.0 (all out → full quota) |
| 2 | Team A batting | 160 | 20.0 |
| 2 | Team D batting | 150 | 20.0 |
Now plug it in:
- Runs scored: 180 + 160 = 340, in 20 + 20 = 40 overs → 340 ÷ 40 = 8.50
- Runs conceded: 140 + 150 = 290, in 20 + 20 = 40 overs → 290 ÷ 40 = 7.25 (note the 20 for the all-out innings, not 16)
- NRR = 8.50 − 7.25 = +1.25
Team A's net run rate is +1.25. If another team finished level on points but at +0.90, Team A ranks above them.
Why it matters for your tournament
NRR turns every game into more than a win or a loss. Chasing a small target? Knock it off quickly to boost your rate. Bowling first? Restricting the opposition and bowling them out cheaply helps twice, once on the scoreboard and once on the table. In a tight group, a single big win can be the difference between the semis and going home.
Let the app do the maths
Tracking runs and overs across a whole tournament by hand is where mistakes creep in, and a wrong NRR means a wrong table. vikket calculates it for you: score each match ball by ball, and the points table updates live with correct NRR, including the all-out full-overs rule. No spreadsheet, no arguments.
FAQ
What is a good NRR?
Anything positive means you generally outscored your opponents' rate. In a close group, a high positive NRR like +1.0 or more is a strong buffer for qualification.
Does a team bowled out use its full overs?
Yes. An all-out innings counts as the full quota of overs for NRR, even if the team lost its last wicket early.
Can NRR be negative?
Yes. If you concede runs faster than you score them across the tournament, your NRR is negative.
How do I calculate NRR without doing the maths?
Score your matches in vikket and the points table computes NRR automatically, with the correct all-out handling.