In cricket, what is "strike rate" for a batter?
VerifiedAnswer: Runs scored per 100 balls faced.
Explanation:
Strike rate is one of the most important statistics in cricket that measures how quickly a batter scores runs. It's calculated by dividing the total number of runs scored by the total number of balls faced, then multiplying by 100. This gives us the number of runs per 100 balls, making it easy to compare different batters' scoring speeds.
For example, if a batter scores 50 runs off 40 balls, their strike rate would be (50 ÷ 40) × 100 = 125. This means they're scoring at a rate of 125 runs per 100 balls faced. The higher the strike rate, the faster the batter is scoring runs.
Strike rate becomes particularly crucial in limited-overs cricket formats like ODIs and T20s, where teams have a restricted number of deliveries to score as many runs as possible. A strike rate of 100 means the batter is scoring exactly one run per ball, while anything above 100 indicates they're scoring faster than a run-a-ball pace.
In Test cricket, strike rates are generally lower since there's no time pressure, and batters focus more on building innings and staying at the crease. However, in T20 cricket, strike rates often exceed 140-150 for successful batters, as the format demands aggressive batting from the very first ball.