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Don Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 is the most famous number in all of sports. He played 80 Test innings and was dismissed 70 times, scoring 6,996 runs. The next-best Test batting average among players with significant matches belongs to Adam Voges at 61.87, followed by Graeme Pollock at 60.97 — meaning Bradman's average exceeds the second-best by nearly 40 runs per innings. In any other sport, such a statistical outlier would be dismissed as a measurement error; in cricket, the mathematics are verified beyond doubt. Batting average is the total runs scored divided by the number of times a batter has been dismissed. The crucial distinction from a simple runs-per-innings ratio is that not-out innings are excluded from the denominator — if a batter scores 50 runs and is not out at the end of an innings, those 50 runs count toward the numerator but the innings does not count toward dismissals. This convention rewards batters who frequently carry their bat through an innings and penalizes those who get out often. Batting average is the bedrock of batting evaluation in Test and ODI cricket and has been so since the earliest days of cricket statistics. In T20 cricket, strike rate has partially displaced average as the primary metric, but average still matters as a measure of consistency — a T20 batter who scores freely but gets out cheaply every third innings creates more problems than one who is dismissed less often. Limitations of batting average are real. The not-out treatment inflates the averages of tail-enders and finishers who are often not out when matches end; MS Dhoni's career ODI average of 50.58 is partly inflated because he finished a large number of successful chases as the not-out batter. The metric also ignores the quality of opposition bowling, pitch conditions, and the match situation — Virat Kohli's 50+ Test average was built partly in India on favourable pitches, while England openers' averages suffer from more seam-friendly home conditions.
Batting Average Formula: Batting Average = Total Runs Scored / Number of Times Dismissed Where: Number of Times Dismissed = Total Innings Played - Not Out Innings Not Out: batter still at the crease when innings ends (team all-out, declaration, or target achieved) Worked Example — Virat Kohli Test career: Test Runs: approximately 9,100 | Innings: 213 | Not Outs: 12 Dismissals = 213 - 12 = 201 Batting Average = 9100 / 201 = 45.27 (Career figure fluctuates based on latest matches) Not-Out Effect Illustration: Player A: 1000 runs in 20 innings, 5 not outs => Average = 1000/15 = 66.67 Player B: 1000 runs in 20 innings, 0 not outs => Average = 1000/20 = 50.00 Both players scored the same runs in the same innings but Player A's not-outs inflate the average by 16.67 runs
- 1Count the total runs scored by the batter across all innings under consideration, excluding extras such as byes, leg-byes, and wides (which are not credited to any individual batter).
- 2Count the total innings played and subtract the number of not-out innings to determine the denominator (dismissals). An innings where the batter was not dismissed for any reason — end of match, declaration, team all-out while batter is at crease — counts as not out.
- 3Divide total runs by total dismissals to produce the batting average. The result is expressed as a decimal rounded to two places.
- 4Apply minimum innings thresholds (typically 20 innings for career comparisons) to ensure sample size validity before drawing conclusions from batting averages.
- 5Contextualise the average with format benchmarks: Test batting average above 40 is considered excellent; ODI above 35 is good; T20 above 30 is solid when combined with appropriate strike rate.
- 6Examine home vs. away split averages to understand whether a high career average is built on comfortable conditions or represents truly world-class consistency across diverse environments.
- 7Track rolling 12-month or 2-year batting averages alongside career averages to identify whether a player is in form or decline, which is more actionable information for selection decisions.
Bradman famously needed only 4 runs in his final Test innings to average exactly 100, but was dismissed for 0 by Eric Hollies. The 99.94 figure has become cricket's most iconic number.
Dhoni's exceptional average is partly genuine skill (his finishing ability) and partly the not-out effect — 84 not-out innings in 297 total inflates his average significantly compared to openers who are rarely not out.
A 21-run home/away differential is common among subcontinental batters and is one of the most analytically significant splits when evaluating a player's true world-class credentials.
A T20 average of 27 at SR 152 represents an effective middle-order T20 batter. The strike rate more than compensates for the moderate average, making this a desirable player profile for franchise cricket.
Test cricket selection boards globally use batting average as a primary gatekeeping metric, with minimum career averages serving as informal but widely understood thresholds for selection consideration, enabling practitioners to make well-informed quantitative decisions based on validated computational methods and industry-standard approaches
Player contract negotiations in all international cricket associations reference career batting averages in performance bonus structures, with tiered payments triggered by maintaining specified average benchmarks across a contract period, helping analysts produce accurate results that support strategic planning, resource allocation, and performance benchmarking across organizations
Sports betting companies use live batting average updates to calculate pre-match player performance markets (e.g., 'will Kohli score 50+') by combining career average with current form data, allowing professionals to quantify outcomes systematically and compare scenarios using reliable mathematical frameworks and established formulas
Cricket academies at ICC high-performance centres use batting average progression tracking to monitor development players across age cohorts, identifying which players are developing at international-trajectory rates, supporting data-driven evaluation processes where numerical precision is essential for compliance, reporting, and optimization objectives
Batters who play many innings as pinch-hitters or nightwatchmen accumulate
Batters who play many innings as pinch-hitters or nightwatchmen accumulate not-outs that may artificially inflate their averages when the innings was not a genuine batting contribution — this is a known quirk of the not-out rule. Professionals working with cricket batting average should be especially attentive to this scenario because it can lead to misleading results if not handled properly. Always verify boundary conditions and cross-check with independent methods when this case arises in practice.
In very short tours or series (3 matches or fewer), batting averages are highly
In very short tours or series (3 matches or fewer), batting averages are highly unstable and small-sample results can mislead selectors; minimum 10-15 innings are needed before averages become directionally reliable. Professionals working with cricket batting average should be especially attentive to this scenario because it can lead to misleading results if not handled properly. Always verify boundary conditions and cross-check with independent methods when this case arises in practice.
Rain-affected matches that end mid-innings due to DLS or abandonment may
Rain-affected matches that end mid-innings due to DLS or abandonment may produce situations where a batter's innings is never complete — these are treated as not-outs regardless of their personal score, which can artificially influence averages in wet weather conditions. Professionals working with cricket batting average should be especially attentive to this scenario because it can lead to misleading results if not handled properly. Always verify boundary conditions and cross-check with independent methods when this case arises in practice.
| Batter | Country | Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Bradman | Australia | 52 | 80 | 10 | 6996 | 99.94 |
| Adam Voges | Australia | 20 | 31 | 7 | 1485 | 61.87 |
| Graeme Pollock | South Africa | 23 | 41 | 4 | 2256 | 60.97 |
| George Headley | West Indies | 22 | 40 | 4 | 2190 | 60.83 |
| Herbert Sutcliffe | England | 54 | 84 | 9 | 4555 | 60.73 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 113+ | 199+ | 11+ | 8848+ | 48.86+ |
| Steve Smith | Australia | 104+ | 189+ | 17+ | 9145+ | 53.17+ |
What is batting average in cricket?
Batting average is the total runs scored divided by the number of times a batter has been dismissed (not the number of innings played). Not-out innings count toward runs but not toward dismissals. It measures how many runs a batter typically scores before being dismissed and is the primary measure of batting consistency in Test and ODI cricket.
Why is not out not counted in batting average?
Not-out innings are excluded from the denominator because the batter had the opportunity to continue scoring but was stopped by circumstances beyond their control — the innings ended. Including not-outs in the dismissal count would penalize batters who play long innings through the end of a game, which is considered a batting achievement rather than a failure.
What is a good batting average in Test cricket?
In Test cricket, a batting average above 45 is considered excellent; 40-45 is very good for a specialist batter; 35-40 is good for lower-middle-order players; and below 35 suggests a player who is struggling to justify a batting position. The global Test batting average across all players and eras is approximately 28-30 runs per dismissal.
Who has the highest batting average in Test cricket?
Don Bradman of Australia holds the record with a career Test batting average of 99.94 across 80 innings (52 matches). This figure is so far above the next-best sustained average (Adam Voges at 61.87 in a shorter career) that statisticians describe it as the greatest outlier in professional sports history — approximately five standard deviations above the mean.
How does the not-out effect inflate batting averages?
When a batter finishes many innings as not out (undefeated), their runs accumulate without contributing to dismissal count. This can inflate averages for lower-order batters and finishers who are often not out when matches conclude. MS Dhoni's ODI average of 50.58 is estimated to be around 38-40 if not-outs were treated as dismissals — a significant inflation from 84 not-out innings.
Is batting average still relevant in T20 cricket?
In T20 cricket, batting average has diminished in relative importance compared to strike rate because scoring pace matters more than survival. However, average still matters — a T20 batter who gets out cheaply every other innings creates instability regardless of their strike rate when set. The modern T20 evaluation uses both metrics together, often expressed as 'average x SR' or impact metrics.
What is the difference between batting average and batting mean?
Batting average (by cricket convention) excludes not-out innings from the denominator, while a simple mathematical mean of scores would include all innings equally. This means the cricket batting average is technically closer to a truncated or conditional mean than a true arithmetic mean. Critics of this convention argue a true mean (all innings in denominator) would be a more honest representation of typical scoring.
Pro Tip
When comparing batters across eras or conditions, use batting average relative to the team mean of the same era rather than absolute values. Bradman's average was 3.37 standard deviations above his contemporaries — a gap that no other batter has come close to replicating. Relative performance contextualization is far more meaningful than raw average comparisons.
Did you know?
Don Bradman's final Test innings in 1948 is one of cricket's most poignant moments. He needed just 4 runs to achieve a career average of 100, but was clean bowled second ball by Eric Hollies for a duck. Accounts suggest Bradman may have had tears in his eyes from the crowd reception and was temporarily blinded as he faced the fatal delivery, leaving his average forever at 99.94.