A Super Over, also known as a one-over eliminator, is cricket’s answer to the age-old sporting question: “What do we do in the event of a tie?” Ties are rare in cricket, but they do happen. Instead of factoring in less important factors such as the number of wickets lost and previous head-to-head records in the ongoing tournament, the International Cricket Council instated a Super Over for limited overs cricket matches.
One of the most exciting spectacles in the world of sport, a Super Over is intense, exciting, and desperate – exactly what most people watch cricket for. In this article, we won’t just discuss what the term Super Over means in cricket but also the history, parameters, and rules of Super Over. This isn’t just essential information for cricket lovers but extremely important for anyone about to wager money on the cricket – and what better site to place bets on than Parimatch?
Table of Contents
When Is a Super Over Resorted To?
When the scores of two teams are level at the end of regulation in a limited overs cricket match (One Days, T20s, T10s, etc.), the game goes into the Super Over, meaning that each team plays an additional over with two wickets in hand in order to single out a clear winner.
Super Over Rules
Although played just like an ordinary cricket match, for the most part, there are some rules that separate cricket Super Over rules from usual matches. We’ve broken them down with details below:
1. Each Team Is Only Allowed One Single Over
As mentioned before, teams play only 6 deliveries each in Super Over cricket. This means that barring extras or ridiculous overthrows, the most a team can score is 36. However, the highest any team has ever scored in a Super Over in an international match is 25, which was scored by the West Indies against New Zealand back in December 2008. Incidentally, this was the very first international Super Over. The same record for the IPL is held by Sunrisers Hyderabad, who scored 20 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL 2013 group stage match – a romp that changed the Super Over meaning in IPL.
2. The Chasing Team Bats First
The team that batted second during the normal period of the match keeps their gear on and goes in to bat first, with the side that had batted first during the initial game becoming the team batting second.
3. Each Team Gets 2 Wickets in Hand
The announcement of a Super Over means each batting team essentially gets 3 batters. Each side can afford to lose one wicket. If they lose two, they’re effectively bowled out of the Super Over. This adds an element of caution and strategy into what would otherwise have been a wild-swinging slugfest.
4. The Fielding Team Decides Which End They Wish to Bowl From
As there is only one over to be bowled, the bowling team chooses from which end which team will bowl. This might seem like a non-factor to some, but experts know how important bowling ends can be based on both the bowler and batter. For instance, a part of the pitch might suffer some form of damage during the course of play, which would give bowlers the incentive to choose the end from which they can exploit that part of the pitch for an irregular bounce or sharp lateral movement. Moreover, the captain can save their team’s batters from facing a similar challenge.
5. A Player Cannot Bat and Bowl in the Course of a Super Over
Does your team have a fantastic all-rounder who is in scintillating form? Too bad! Bizarrely, a player is not allowed to both bat and bowl during the course of a Super Over.
6. Each Team Gets One DRS Review Per Innings
Each team is given one TV umpire review for the 6 deliveries, which is retained in the event of a correct review and lost if the appealing team was wrong, as is the rule. One DRS review per innings means the teams essentially get two reviews each, but only one can be used while batting and one while bowling.
7. Achievements Do Not Affect Players’ Career Statistics
As it is considered a separate event rather than a part of the match that was just played, any runs made, balls bowled, or wickets taken are not added to the tallies of the respective players.
8. A New Ball Is Not Allowed
Although the bowling team can change the ball, the replacement ball will have to have the same level of wear and tear as the outgoing ball.
9. Boundaries Don’t Matter
No matter how many sixes or fours a team has hit during regulation overs or the Super Over, they will not win by default based on boundary count alone. This is something that has undergone many changes over the years.
10. Fallen Wickets Don’t Matter
This goes just as the rules stand during the main game. If a team scores 9 runs in the course of the Super Over without losing a wicket and the second team does the same thing at the expense of one wicket, another Super Over is played. The fallen wicket does not count against the team.
What If a Super Over Ends in a Tie?
If a Super Over ends in a tie, more Super Overs follow until a conclusive difference is reached via the result of those battles. Unless you only started watching cricket in 2020, you are probably aware of the absolutely ridiculous ‘number of boundaries’ rule that won England the 2019 ODI World Cup following their tied Super Over against New Zealand in the final at Lord’s. That rule has since been scrapped, and teams must keep playing Super Overs.
Moreover, if the Super Over ends in a tie and a second one is on the cards, the very same batters and bowlers cannot be used again. For example, if the West Indies use Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran, and Rovman Powell as their three batters and Jason Holder as their bowler, a second Super Over would see those players in fielding roles only. If there are more Super Overs than there are players available on the field, the match is declared a tie.
When Was Super Over Introduced in Cricket?
The Super Over was first brought into the equation in 2008, with the very first Super Over being played on December 26 of that same year. Tied matches had long been a thorn in the ICC’s side, with many tied matches becoming controversial for ultimately being decided by previous results or simply left undecided. After a brief period of experimentation with the bowl-out method, the ICC chose to employ the Super Over.
History of the Super Over
To find the origin of the Super Over, one would have to go back all the way to June 1991, when the first-ever Bowl-Out took place between two English clubs. Although it wasn’t used in international matches until 2006, the concept of a tiebreaker existed in cricket for over a decade before it was finally implemented at the highest level. After a couple of Bowl-Outs, though, it became apparent that more action was needed, and the rules were changed to make way for Super Overs in 2008.
How Many Matches Have Ended With a Super Over?
Thus far, 2 ODIs and 17 T20Is have been decided by a Super Over in the men’s game, while women’s cricket has seen 2 ODI ties and one T20I stalemate. The following are Super Overs played in men’s ODIs.
| Date | Match | Winner |
| 14 July 2019 | England vs. New Zealand | England |
| 3 November 2020 | Pakistan vs. Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe |
The following are all the Super Overs played in men’s T20Is.
| Date | Match | Winner |
| 26 December 2008 | New Zealand vs. West Indies | West Indies |
| 28 February 2010 | New Zealand vs. Australia | New Zealand |
| 7 September 2012 | Pakistan vs. Australia | Pakistan |
| 27 September 2012 | Sri Lanka vs. New Zealand | Sri Lanka |
| 1 October 2012 | West Indies vs. New Zealand | West Indies |
| 30 November 2015 | Pakistan vs. England | England |
| 22 January 2019 | Qatar vs. Kuwait | Qatar |
| 19 March 2019 | South Africa vs. Sri Lanka | South Africa |
| 31 May 2019 | Guernsey vs. Jersey | Guernsey |
| 25 June 2019 | Netherlands vs. Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe |
| 5 July 2019 | Qatar vs. Kuwait | Qatar |
| 10 November 2019 | New Zealand vs. England | England |
| 29 January 2020 | New Zealand vs. India | India |
| 31 January 2020 | New Zealand vs. India | India |
| 10 March 2020 | Afghanistan vs. Ireland | Ireland |
| 10 November 2021 | United States vs. Canada | United States |
| 13 February 2022 | Australia vs. Sri Lanka | Australia |
Which Team Has Played the Most Super Overs?
As Super Overs are a matter of luck, national teams have played a disproportionate number of them. The team that has played the most is New Zealand by far. Here is a full list of which teams have played the most Super Overs, with both ODIs and T20Is being considered.
| Team | Super Overs | Won | Lost |
| New Zealand | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| England | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Australia | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| India | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| West Indies | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Qatar | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Kuwait | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| South Africa | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| USA | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jersey | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Afghanistan | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Canada | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Guernsey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
What Is the Most Famous Super Over in History?
The most famous Super Over in history is the one between England and New Zealand at the final of the 2019 ODI World Cup. In what was by far the most exhilarating and intense display of cricket, the teams actually managed to tie with each other a second time in the Super Over.
Unfortunately, due to a questionable boundary rule, which stated that whichever team scored the most fours during the original 50 allotted overs would win, England was given the win by default. The rule has since been changed after a massive public outcry regarding this very match.
FAQ
Here are some of the most-asked questions regarding Super Overs from around the web.
When is a Super Over resorted to?
When the scores of two teams are equal at the end of a limited overs cricket match, the game resorts to Super Over.
How does the Super Over work?
Each team gets to play 6 balls each with 2 wickets in hand, with whichever team scores the most runs winning the match. In the event of another tie, more Super Overs follow. However, those who batted and bowled in the first Super Over can’t do so in the second.
What is Super Over in IPL?
A Super Over in IPL means the teams will play 6 balls each to determine the winner after a tied match. The rules of a regular Super Over all apply.
What if Super Over ties?
If the Super Over ends in a tie, another Super Over will be played.
What happens if you draw a Super Over?
Teams ending up in a draw even after a Super Over will just have to repeat the process until they can be separated by way of runs scored during a Super Over. This continues until there are no more different batters left, after which the match is finally declared to be a tie. However, this has never happened as of the time of writing.
When was Super Over introduced in cricket?
The Super Over was introduced in cricket in 2008, with the first Super Over played on December 26 of that same year.
How many matches have ended with a Super Over?
A total of 17 international matches (men’s) ended with a Super Over as a decider.
Which team has played the most Super Overs?
New Zealand is a team that has played 9 Super Overs matches and won 1 match, and lost 8.
How many Super Overs can be played?
Essentially, teams can play three or maybe even four (if the 12th man/concussion sub is involved) Super Overs. However, things have never gone past two, and it remains to be seen how those circumstances are handled.
What is the most famous Super Over in history?
The most famous Super Over in history is the match between England and New Zealand at the final of the 2019 ODI World Cup.
Do Super Over runs and wickets count?
No, any balls bowled, runs scored, wickets taken, catches, or extras do not count in the stats tally of the players involved.
Conclusion
The concept of Super Overs can be a bit confusing as the measure is used relatively rarely. However, any and all cricket aficionado needs to know the details of the mechanism. This is especially important if you’re going to bet online on a cricket match, as a Super Over provides an amazing chance for winning big. With Parimatch, online betting is as easy and convenient as it gets.
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