The DLS method explained: how the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system sets revised targets in rain-hit cricket, and why it can feel confusing but is fair.
Rain stops play, and suddenly the target changes — enter the DLS method. Here is the DLS method explained simply, so the next rain-hit match makes sense.
DLS stands for Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, the system used to set a fair revised target when a limited-overs match is shortened by rain or other delays.
The DLS method treats a team's resources — overs remaining and wickets in hand — as the key to scoring. When overs are lost, the system recalculates a fair target based on the resources each side actually had.
No rain rule is perfect, but the DLS method is widely accepted as the fairest available, balancing both resources rather than just overs.