Keralite’s score formula to be used in rain-hit IPL matches

THRISSUR - A system developed by Kerala engineer V. Jayadevan for computing target scores in interrupted one-day and Twenty20 (T20) cricket matches has got the Indian cricket board’s nod for use in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Speaking to IANS, Jayadevan, 46, said that he made a presentation on his system, called the “VJD”, at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) technical committee meeting in Chennai Friday.

“I spent half an hour with the committee headed by former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and answered queries. I was then told that my system would be put into practice in the next edition of IPL (a domestic professional Twenty20 cricket competition in India),” said Jayadevan.

His formula is applicable in both one-day and T20 forms of cricket.

Jayadevan, a civil engineer, holds a Master’s degree in building technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He is currently deputy director, publications division, in the Kerala Engineering Research Institute near here.

“Since 2007, the BCCI has used my model in about 30 domestic matches,” said Jayadevan.

He said he accidentally developed an alternative to the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) mathematical formula, currently used for calculating the target for a team batting second in interrupted matches, after starting work a decade ago.

“The D/L formula uses a concept of resources available and resources used, while my model employs the concept of normal and target scores. The method is capable of satisfactorily handling any number of interruptions during any stage of a the game,” added Jayadevan.

Even though he has been working on this for the past one decade, it was only recently that he got a financial assistance from the BCCI.

“Over the years, I have made certain modifications in my model and the one that is going to be used in the IPL is the model I fine tuned in 2007,” added Jayadevan.

The BCCI, after being convinced of this new model and agreeing to put in practice in the next edition of IPL, has agreed to present this model to the International Cricket Council.