Game on Field

Target Chase Calculator

Instantly know how many runs are needed from how many balls — and how tough the chase really is

Match Situation

Chase Analysis

Enter match details to see the chase

This is what your result will look like

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.

T20 format
120 balls total
ODI format
300 balls total
RRR formula
Runs Needed ÷ Overs Left
Difficult threshold
RRR > 12 in T20
Formula:Runs Needed = Target − Current Score | Required RR = Runs Needed ÷ Overs Remaining | Balls Remaining = (Total Overs − Overs Played) × 6 − Extra Balls
1
Target: Enter the total runs set by the first batting team — the score the chasing side must exceed.
2
Current Score: Enter the chasing team's current score at the point you want to calculate.
3
Total Overs: Enter the total overs in the match — 20 for T20, 50 for ODI.
4
Overs & Extra Balls: Enter complete overs played and any additional balls bowled in the current over.

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)
Source: ICC Playing Conditions for T20 International and ODI 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.

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.

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