Bowling Average Calculator
Calculate cricket bowling average — the number of runs conceded per wicket taken. Compare your figures against benchmarks for T20 (IPL, Big Bash, PSL, CPL), ODI (World Cup, Champions Trophy), and Test cricket (Ashes, WTC). Get a quality rating that tells you whether your bowling figures are world-class, excellent, good, or need improvement. Used by players, coaches, and analysts across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, England, and South Africa.
How Bowling Average Calculator Works
Calculate cricket bowling average with performance rating. Compare against T20, ODI, and Test benchmarks. calculator for IPL, World Cup, and Ashes. Enter your values into the form above and the calculator processes them instantly in your browser — no data is sent to any server.
Understanding Bowling Average in Cricket
Bowling average measures the cost of each wicket — how many runs a bowler concedes per wicket taken. A lower bowling average means the bowler is more economical in taking wickets. It is one of the three key bowling metrics alongside economy rate and strike rate, and together they paint a complete picture of a bowler's effectiveness. In Test cricket, bowling average is the primary metric for evaluating bowlers, much like batting average is for batsmen.
Bowling Average Formula
Bowling Average = Runs Conceded / Wickets Taken
Lower average = better performance
Bowling Average Benchmarks by Format
In Test cricket, a bowling average below 20 is world-class — achieved by legends like Glenn McGrath (21.6), Dale Steyn (22.9), and Jasprit Bumrah (20.5). An average of 20-25 is excellent (James Anderson, Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada), 25-30 is good, 30-35 is average for a front-line bowler, and above 35 is below par. In ODI cricket, averages below 25 are world-class, 25-30 excellent, and above 35 poor. In T20, the benchmarks shift higher because batsmen are more aggressive: below 20 is exceptional, 20-25 excellent, and below 30 good.
The Holy Trinity: Average, Economy, Strike Rate
Bowling average alone does not tell the full story. A bowler could have a great average of 22 but a poor economy of 4.0 in Tests, meaning they are expensive between wickets. The ideal bowler has low average (cost per wicket), low economy (runs per over), and low strike rate (balls per wicket). Bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Dale Steyn, and Malcolm Marshall excelled in all three metrics simultaneously, which is what made them truly great. In IPL terms, a bowler with average below 25, economy below 8, and strike rate below 18 is gold dust.
Bowling Average in Test Cricket History
The greatest Test bowling averages in history include George Lohmann (10.75, 19th century), Sydney Barnes (16.43), and among modern bowlers with 100+ wickets, Joel Garner (20.97), Malcolm Marshall (20.94), and Curtly Ambrose (20.99). The most wickets with an average under 25 belong to Glenn McGrath (563 wickets at 21.6), which many consider the greatest pace bowling career in history. Spin bowling greats like Shane Warne (25.4) and Muthiah Muralitharan (22.7) also maintained excellent averages over enormous careers.
Bowling Average in the IPL
In the IPL, bowling averages are higher than international cricket because batsmen play more aggressively on flat pitches with short boundaries. An IPL career bowling average below 22 is exceptional — achieved by bowlers like Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan, and Jasprit Bumrah. Between 22-28 is good, and above 30 suggests a bowler who gets hit around in the IPL. Spin bowlers tend to have better IPL averages than pace bowlers because they operate in the middle overs when scoring rates are lower.
Home vs Away Bowling Averages
Like batting, bowling averages vary significantly between home and away. Subcontinental spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin average around 20-22 at home but 35+ in SENA countries. Conversely, English seamers like James Anderson average brilliantly at home (low 20s) but struggle in Asia (high 30s). Bowlers who maintain low averages globally — like Bumrah, Steyn, and McGrath — are rare and exceptionally valuable. The Ashes provides the ultimate test, as conditions in England and Australia differ dramatically.
Five-Wicket Hauls and Bowling Average
Five-wicket hauls (5-fers) significantly impact bowling average. A 5/30 in a Test innings means the bowler averaged 6.0 for that innings, pulling the career average down. Bowlers with many 5-fers — Muralitharan (67), Warne (37), Kumble (35) — tend to have better career averages because dominant spells reduce the cost per wicket. In modern cricket, 5-fers in T20s are extremely rare and career-defining moments, like Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 5/19 against Pakistan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good bowling average in Test cricket?
In Test cricket, a bowling average below 25 is considered excellent. Below 20 is world-class — achieved by bowlers like Glenn McGrath (21.6), Dale Steyn (22.9), Malcolm Marshall (20.9), and Jasprit Bumrah (around 20-21). Most quality Test bowlers average between 25-30. Above 35 is considered poor for a front-line bowler in Test cricket.
Why is a lower bowling average better?
Bowling average = runs conceded / wickets taken. A lower number means the bowler concedes fewer runs per wicket, which indicates greater effectiveness. A bowler averaging 20 takes a wicket every 20 runs, while one averaging 40 concedes twice as many runs per wicket. Lower is always better for bowling average, unlike batting average where higher is better.
Who has the best bowling average in IPL history?
Among bowlers with significant IPL careers (50+ wickets), Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, and Jasprit Bumrah consistently have the lowest bowling averages, typically around 20-22. These bowlers combine wicket-taking ability with economy, making them the most valuable bowlers in IPL auction history. Rashid Khan in particular has maintained a sub-22 average across multiple IPL seasons.
How does bowling average differ between pace and spin?
In Test cricket, pace bowlers generally have lower averages than spinners because they operate with the new ball and in more bowler-friendly conditions. However, elite spinners like Muralitharan (22.7) and Warne (25.4) match pace bowlers. In T20 cricket, spinners often have better averages because they bowl in the middle overs when batsmen are less aggressive. The IPL shows this trend clearly.
Is bowling average or economy rate more important in T20 cricket?
In T20 cricket, economy rate is generally considered more important than bowling average. A bowler who concedes only 24 runs in 4 overs (economy 6.0) but takes no wickets has still been highly effective. However, the best T20 bowlers excel in both — Bumrah and Rashid Khan have both low averages and low economies in T20 cricket. For IPL auction decisions, economy rate typically carries more weight.