Strike rate

Strike rate refers to two different statistics in the sport of cricket. Batting strike rate is a measure of how quickly a batsman achieves the primary goal of batting, namely scoring runs. Bowling strike rate is a measure of how quickly a bowler achieves the primary goal of bowling, namely taking wickets (i.e. getting batsmen out).

Both strike rates are relatively new statistics, having only been invented and considered of importance after the introduction of One Day International cricket in the 1970s.

Batting strike rate

International batting strike rates as of January 2004

Batting strike rate (s/r) is defined for a batsman as the average number of runs scored per 100 balls faced. The higher the strike rate, the more effective a batsman is at scoring quickly.

In Test cricket, a batsman's strike rate is of secondary relevance to his ability to score runs without getting out. This means a Test batsman's most important statistic is generally considered to be his batting average, rather than his strike rate.

In limited overs cricket, strike rates are of considerably more importance. Since each team only faces a limited number of balls in an innings, the faster a batsman scores, the more runs his team will be able to accumulate. Strike rates of over 150 are becoming common in Twenty20 cricket. Strike rate is probably considered by most as the key factor in a batsman in one day cricket. Accordingly, the batsmen with the higher strike rate, especially in Twenty20 matches, are more valued than those with a lesser strike rate.

Highest career strike rate (T20I)

See also: Highest strike rates in ODIs and Highest strike rates in T20Is

Rank	Strike rate	Runs scored	Balls faced	Batsman	Team	T20I career span
1	173.97	508	292	Kayron Stagno†	Gibraltar	2022–2023
2	171.89	942	548	Taranjeet Singh†	Romania	2021–2024
3	171.55	2,141	1,248	Suryakumar Yadav†	India	2021–2023
4	167.24	771	461	Kushal Malla†	Nepal	2019–2024
5	166.72	1,012	607	Faisal Khan†	Saudi Arabia	2019–2024
Qualification: 250 balls. Last updated: 26 May 2024

Highest career strike rate (ODI)

Rank	Strike rate	Player	Team	Runs	Balls faced	Period
1	130.22	Andre Russell	West Indies	1034	794	2011–2019
2	126.91	Glenn Maxwell	Australia	3895	3069	2012–2023
3	117.11	Jos Buttler	England	5022	4288	2012–2023
4	117.06	Lionel Cann	Bermuda	590	504	2006–2009
5	117.00	Shahid Afridi	Pakistan	8064	6892	1996–2015
Last updated: 3 November 2023
Qualification: Faced at least 500 balls.

Bowling strike rate

Bowling strike rate is defined for a bowler as the average number of balls bowled per wicket taken. The lower the strike rate, the more effective a bowler is at taking wickets quickly.

Although introduced as a statistic complementary to the batting strike rate during the ascension of one-day cricket in the 1980s, bowling strike rates are arguably of more importance in Test cricket than One-day Internationals. This is because the primary goal of a bowler in Test cricket is to take wickets, whereas in a one-day match it is often sufficient to bowl economically - giving away as few runs as possible even if this means taking fewer wickets.

Best career strike rate (ODI and T20I)

See also: Lowest strike rates in ODIs and Lowest strike rates in T20Is

Best career strike rate (Tests)

Retired players

Strike rate	Player	Balls	Wickets
34.2	George Lohmann	3,830	112
37.7	/ J. J. Ferris	2,302	61
38.8	Shane Bond	3,372	87
41.7	Sydney Barnes	7,873	189
43.2	Bert Vogler	2,764	64
Qualification: 2,000 balls Last updated: 8 January 2017

Active players

Strike rate	Player	Balls	Wickets
40.17	Kagiso Rabada	7,712	192
42.3	Dale Steyn	18,608	439
43.73	Jasprit Bumrah	2,711	62
48.22	Mitchell Starc	11,573	240
47.22	Pat Cummins	6,563	139
Qualification: 2,000 balls Last updated: 4 January 2020