A Super Over, or a one-over eliminator is a tie-breaking method used in limited-overs cricket. In case a match is tied, both sides play a one-over game to decide the winner. The team that scores the most number of runs in the Super Over is declared the winner. In case the Super Over is also tied, another Super Over follows.
A Super Over was first used in 2008 in the shortest format of the game, after the bowl-out method which was previously used for breaking a tied match was scrapped. Later in 2011, the method was introduced in the 50-over World Cup, but didn’t come into use.
Previously, the winner was decided by the number of boundaries scored throughout the match. This rule was later scrapped after receiving criticism at the 2019 World Cup final. England were awarded the winners of the 2019 ODI World Cup for scoring more number of boundaries, after the Super Over was tied with New Zealand. This did not go down well with most fans, who asked for the boundary count rule to be done away with.
Following the World Cup, the ICC updated its rules regarding the Super Over for ICC events. Group stage matches that are still tied after a Super Over will remain a tie. Matches that are tied in either a semi-final or final will be followed by another Super Over.
A second Super Over was played for the first time in 2020 between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier league.
How many Super Overs have been played in the Indian Premier League?
| EDITION | VENUE | WINNER | SCORE | LOSER | SCORE |
| 2009 | Cape Town | Rajasthan | 18-0 | Kolkata | 15-1 |
| 2010 | Chennai | Punjab | 10-1 | Chennai | 9-2 |
| 2013 | Hyderabad | Hyderabad | 20-0 | Bangalore | 15-0 |
| 2013 | Bangalore | Bangalore | 15-0 | Delhi | 11-2 |
| 2014 | Abu Dhabi | Rajasthan | 11-0 | Kolkata | 11-2 |
| 2015 | Hyderabad | Punjab | 15-2 | Rajasthan | 6-2 |
| 2017 | Rajkot | Mumbai | 11-2 | Gujarat | 6-0 |
| 2019 | Delhi | Delhi | 10-1 | Kolkata | 7-1 |
| 2019 | Mumbai | Mumbai | 9-0 | Hyderabad | 8-2 |
| 2020 | Dubai | Delhi | 3-0 | Punjab | 2-2 |
| 2020 | Dubai | Bangalore | 11-0 | Mumbai | 7-1 |
| 2020 | Abu Dhabi | Kolkata | 3-0 | Hyderabad | 2-2 |
| 2020 | Dubai | Punjab | 5-2 & 15-0 | Mumbai | 5-1 & 11-1 |
| 2021 | Chennai | Delhi | 8-0 | Hyderabad | 7-0 |
Here we take a look at the best Super Overs seen in the IPL
Rajasthan Royals VS Kolkata Knight Riders – IPL 2009
The second edition of the IPL in 2009 was held in South Africa due to General Elections being held in India. The game between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders was one of the most entertaining games of that season, as it witnessed the first super over in the history of the IPL.
Batting first, Rajasthan Royals scored a decent total of 150/6, with Yusuf Pathan top-scoring with a 21-ball 42. KKR needed 151 to win and with the help of Sourav Ganguly’s 30-ball 46, the match ended in a tie. What followed was the first Super Over of the tournament.
KKR batsmen Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum walked into bat and managed to put up 15 runs from six balls. Gayle hit three consecutive boundaries off Kamran Khan and was out on the final ball.
For Rajasthan, Yusuf Pathan did most of the work in the tie-breaker. He hit Kusal Mendis for a massive six off the very first ball, followed by two quicks runs off the second ball. The third delivery was again smashed for a six, and the fourth one for a boundary. Pathan’s heroics helped Rajasthan go over the line.
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Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings – IPL 2010
This was the 16th match of the 2010 edition, played at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. Batting first, Punjab posted a total of 130 runs on the board. None of their batsmen except Irfan Pathan (39) and Yuvraj Singh (43) showed courage. Mutthiah Muralitharan was the wrecker-in-chief, picking up three wickets and giving away only 16 runs.
CSK started the chase in style and were 97-2 in 12.5 overs. But in the following 30 balls, they lost six quick wickets. After Matthew Hayden (57) and Suresh Raina (33), the CSK batting line-up fell like a pack of cards. In the end, they needed 10 runs from the last over but could manage only nine and the match was tied.
Batting first in the Super Over, Chennai scored 9-2 as Punjab gunned down the target with ease. Muttiah Muralitharan bowled the over for CSK and was hit for a six on the very first ball by Mahela Jayawardene. But in the next delivery, Muralitharan dismissed Mahela with a catch at long-on. Punjab now needed four runs off four balls. On the fourth ball, Yuvraj Singh hit a four to take his side home.
Kings XI Punjab VS Mumbai Indians – IPL 2020
This was the first time in IPL history when one game saw two Super Overs. Batting first, Mumbai scored 176 runs after losing six wickets. Punjab ended their innings on 175 runs and the match went into a Super Over. In the first Super Over, both teams scored five runs each, thus forcing another Super Over.
In the second Super Over, Mumbai managed 11 runs at the loss of one wicket. Chasing 12 runs, opener Chris Gayle hit the first ball he faced for a massive six. While Gayle scored seven off 2 balls, Mayank Agarwal scored eight off 2 balls as Punjab won with two balls remaining. Twin Super Overs made this game one of the most dramatic in the history of the IPL.
