Batting average is the oldest and most quoted number in cricket. It answers a simple question: how many runs does this batter score, on average, before getting out? Selectors use it, commentators quote it, and fans argue about it. The calculator above works it out instantly from three numbers you can read off any scorecard or career page: runs, innings and not-outs.
How to use the batting average calculator
- Enter the total runs scored across the innings you want to measure: a single series, a season or a whole career.
- Enter the number of innings batted. Matches where the player did not bat (DNB) are not innings and must be left out.
- Enter the number of not-outs, the innings in which the batter was still in when the innings ended.
- Read the average, the number of dismissals and runs per innings in the results panel. Every figure updates as you type.
The batting average formula
The formula divides runs by dismissals, not by innings:
Batting average = Runs ÷ (Innings − Not outs)
The bottom half of the formula, innings minus not-outs, is simply the number of times the batter was dismissed. This is the key idea. Average measures runs per dismissal, so an innings where the opposition never got the batter out adds runs without adding a dismissal. That is why a lower-order batter who is often not out at the end can carry a higher average than their runs per innings suggests.
Worked example
Suppose a batter scores 540 runs in 15 innings and is not out three times.
- Dismissals = 15 − 3 = 12
- Average = 540 ÷ 12 = 45.00
- Runs per innings = 540 ÷ 15 = 36.00
The gap between 45.00 and 36.00 is entirely due to the three not-outs. Showing both numbers side by side, as this calculator does, gives a fairer picture of what the batter contributes every time they walk out.
Real match example
Sir Don Bradman – the 99.94 Test average
- Runs
- 6,996
- Innings
- 80
- Not outs
- 10
- Dismissals
- 70
- Average
- 6,996 ÷ 70 = 99.94
Bradman famously needed just four runs in his final Test innings at The Oval in 1948 to finish with an average of 100. He was bowled for a duck, and the average stayed at 99.94.
Load the Bradman example into the calculator with one click and you will see the same figure. Change the runs to 7,000 and the average becomes exactly 100.00, which shows how close he came.
Real season example
Virat Kohli – IPL 2016
- Runs
- 973
- Innings
- 16
- Not outs
- 4
- Average
- 973 ÷ 12 = 81.08
Kohli's 973 runs, including four centuries, remain one of the great individual IPL seasons. Four not-outs lifted his average well above his 60.81 runs per innings.
What counts as an innings and a not-out?
The Laws of Cricket, maintained by the MCC, decide how each innings is recorded. A few cases cause confusion:
- Did not bat: if a player is in the XI but never comes to the crease, it is not an innings and does not count.
- Retired hurt: a batter who retires through illness or injury and does not return is recorded as "retired – not out", so the innings counts as a not-out.
- Retired out: a batter who retires for any other reason and does not resume is recorded as "retired – out", which counts as a dismissal.
- Unbeaten at a declaration or at the end of a chase: both are not-outs.
What is a good batting average?
There is no universal benchmark because conditions and formats differ so much. As a rough guide:
- Test cricket: 50 or more is world class, 40 to 50 is very good, and a specialist batter averaging under 30 is usually under pressure for their place.
- ODIs: 40 or more is excellent for a top-order batter. Rohit Sharma averaged 81.00 at the 2019 World Cup (648 runs, 9 innings, 1 not-out), an exceptional tournament figure.
- T20s: averages are lower because batters attack from the first ball. A top-order average of 30 or more combined with a high strike rate is strong.
Common mistakes when calculating batting average
- Dividing by innings instead of dismissals. This gives runs per innings, a different (and usually lower) number.
- Counting matches instead of innings. A Test can contain two innings for each batter, so matches and innings are not the same.
- Including "did not bat" games. They are not innings at all.
- Trying to average with zero dismissals. If a batter has never been out, the average is undefined. Scorecards show a dash, and so does this calculator.
Batting average versus other batting numbers
Average tells you about reliability, not speed. A batter can average 45 while scoring slowly, which is valuable in a Test but less so at the end of a T20 innings. That is why modern analysis pairs average with strike rate, boundary percentage and conversion of fifties into hundreds. You can see all of these in one place with our player performance calculator, or set two batters side by side with the player comparison calculator.
For live career numbers of current players, use CricketSky's compare players tool and the ICC rankings pages, then come back here to test "what if" scenarios, such as how many runs a player needs in the next series to push their average past 50.
