TipKhel · Guide
DLS explained: rain, revised targets and live win chance
What the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method does in rain-affected limited-overs cricket, and how TipKhel's live win graph is only an estimate.
DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) is the method used in most international limited-overs cricket to set a revised target when rain or bad light cuts an innings short. It is based on the idea that a batting side has two resources — overs (or balls) left, and wickets in hand — and that losing either one changes what a typical score looks like.
What actually changes
If the team batting second has fewer overs than the team that batted first, DLS reduces the target, but not in a straight line. Ten overs with all ten wickets left are worth more than ten overs with two wickets left. A team that is already ahead of a typical score may still be ahead after a rain break; a team that has lost early wickets can see the target get tougher than a simple "runs per over" cut would suggest.
The official DLS calculation is published by the sport's authorities and is what umpires use. TipKhel does not replace it.
In our completed-match archive, 1 result are recorded as decided by DLS, D/L or Duckworth-Lewis. That count is only as good as the result text we stored.
The live win graph is an estimate
On a TipKhel match page, the live win line in limited-overs games updates from runs, wickets and balls left, using a resources model shaped like Duckworth-Lewis. It is labelled as an estimate. It is not the official DLS target, and it never overwrites the frozen pre-match read. See how win probability works and the model steps.