Target Chase Calculator
Instantly know how many runs are needed from how many balls — and how tough the chase really is
Target Chase Calculator
Instantly know how many runs are needed from how many balls — and how tough the chase really is
What is a Target Chase Calculator?
In limited-overs cricket, every ball of a chase matters. Knowing exactly how many runs are needed, from how many balls, and turning that into a required run rate, is some of the most important live information during a match.
This calculator takes your current score, the target, overs played, and balls bowled, and instantly works out runs needed, balls remaining, and required run rate. It also tells you how tough the chase is right now — from comfortable to nearly impossible.
Worked example: chasing 195, a team is 140/4 after 15 overs. Runs needed = 195 − 140 = 55. Balls remaining = (20 − 15) × 6 = 30 balls, or 5 overs. Required run rate = 55 ÷ 5 = 11.0 — tough, but not impossible in T20, especially with 6 wickets still in hand to play some big shots.
How to Use This Calculator
Chase Difficulty by Required Run Rate
- • Below 6: Very comfortable — well within reach for any side
- • 6 – 8: Achievable — solid batting required
- • 8 – 10: Challenging — big shots and wickets in hand needed
- • 10 – 12: Difficult — requires near-perfect hitting
- • Above 12: Very difficult — exceptional striking needed (but possible in T20)
Why Target Chase Numbers Matter in Cricket
These are the exact numbers commentators repeat every over during a chase, because they capture the whole state of the game in a couple of figures. A required run rate rising past 11-12 is usually the moment a match starts to feel like it can go either way.
Following these numbers helps a fan understand a captain's field placements and bowling changes without needing to be told directly. A captain seeing the batting side well ahead of the required rate will often bring on a part-time bowler, expecting the batting team to keep taking risks and possibly lose a wicket.
It also explains why a chase can feel completely different at the same required rate. A required rate of 10 with 8 wickets in hand feels manageable, but the same 10 with only 2 wickets left feels desperate — this is the gap between the raw number and what a chase actually feels like to follow.
?Frequently Asked Questions
Required Run Rate (RRR) is how many runs the chasing team needs per over for the rest of the innings to reach the target. It's Runs Needed ÷ Overs Remaining. An RRR of 8 means the batting side needs 8 runs every over from now on. As wickets fall or the rate climbs, the chase gets harder.
A T20 innings has 120 balls in total. After 10 overs (60 balls), 60 balls remain. After 15 overs (90 balls), 30 balls remain. After 18 overs (108 balls), just 12 balls remain. This calculator handles part overs too — 14 overs and 3 balls bowled correctly works out to 33 balls remaining.
Scores above 200 are generally tough to chase down, 160-190 is competitive, and below 150 is usually chaseable. Pitch, dew, and batting depth all matter a lot though. The IPL has seen chases of 215+ succeed, so no target is truly impossible with the right conditions and lineup.
If rain interrupts the match and a new DLS target is set, just update the "Target" field with the new number and the remaining overs in "Total Overs." The required run rate will then reflect the revised chase. Our DLS calculator can help you work out the revised target first.
No — it's only one piece of the picture. Wickets in hand, the batters still to come, the pitch, and dew (which usually helps the chasing side under lights) all change how doable a given RRR really is. A rate of 10 with 8 wickets in hand feels very different from the same rate with only 2 wickets left.
A low required run rate can still fall apart if wickets tumble quickly, since fresh batters often need a few balls to settle in while the required rate keeps climbing in the background. A chase that looks safe at RRR 6 with 5 wickets down can suddenly feel shaky if two more wickets fall in a hurry.
Yes, indirectly. Wides and no-balls add runs to the total without using up a legal ball, so they help the batting side both by adding runs and by not costing a delivery. This slightly lowers the required run rate compared to if that same ball had been a dot.