Question

Explain the Duckworth rule in the game of cricket.

Answer 1

The Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method is a mathematical system used to revise the target for the team batting second in limited-overs cricket when a match is interrupted by rain or other delays. It was developed by two English statisticians, Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis, and was previously known as the Duckworth–Lewis (D/L) method. The system was introduced in 1997 and later officially adopted by the ICC in 1999.

The purpose of the DLS method is to set a statistically fair revised target for the chasing team, so that it remains as challenging as the original target. Its core idea is that in a limited-overs game, a team’s scoring potential depends on two key resources: overs remaining and wickets in hand, so the target is adjusted in proportion to any change in these resources.