Dot-Ball Percentage
Definition
Dot-ball percentage is the share of legal deliveries that yield no runs. For a bowler, higher is better (more pressure); for a batter, lower usually indicates better strike rotation.
Formula
dot_ball_pct = dot_balls / legal_balls * 100
Cricket Interpretation
Dot balls build pressure: in T20 a sequence of dots forces batters into risk, which often produces wickets. Bowlers with high dot-ball percentages tend to have strong economies even without high wicket counts. For batters, a high dot percentage can signal being tied down.
Required Inputs
dot_balls— legal deliveries with zero runslegal_balls— legal deliveries (excludes wides and no-balls)
Applicable Formats & Leagues
T20 (IPL, MLC) primarily.
Sample-Size Floor
≥ 15 balls bowled (bowler view) or ≥ 30 balls faced (batter view), matching the relevant role's rate floor.
Edge Cases
- Wides and no-balls are excluded from
legal_balls. - A leg-bye or bye is not a dot for the batter's runs but is for the bowler's runs-conceded view — state the convention being used.
Ranking Rule
For bowlers, rank descending among floor-eligible bowlers. For batters, interpret with care — low dot percentage is not automatically "better".
Known Limitations
- Context-dependent: dots at the death are worth more than dots in the middle overs.
- Convention around byes/leg-byes affects comparability.
Example Questions
- "Which bowler bowls the highest share of dot balls this season among eligible bowlers?"
- "Is this batter being tied down (high dot percentage)?"