What is Super Over in T20 Cricket? Rules, History And All You Need to Know About the One-Over Decider
One of the exciting and thrilling aspects of the shortest version of the game is the Super Over. The Super Over is also referred to as the 'One-Over Eliminator' and overs the years, there have been many of these which have made its way into cricket's history.
T20 cricket has not just changed how people perceive the game but has also opened the way for an array of innovations in the gentleman’s game. And one of these is what we know today as the ‘Super Over’. Unlike other sports, draws are a rare thing in cricket, barring the longest version of the game. Limited-overs’ cricket, especially T20s, is all about excitement and intensity and the Super Over is indeed one of the most exciting aspects of the game that many fans look forward to when a particular game ends up being a tie. One of the earliest innovations in the shortest version of the game, a Super Over enables to pick a winner when a match is tied. Prior to the Super Over, cricket had the famous bowl-out—one of the most famous of them being the one between India and Pakistan at the inaugural T20 World Cup. Also known as the ‘one-over eliminator’ a Super Over replaced the bowl-out in limited-overs cricket and paved the way for more excitement and drama in a game, in which both sides end up with the exact same score after the final legitimate delivery of the match was bowled. What is LBW in Cricket? Know Meaning, Full Form and Rules of Form of Dismissal
Over the years, cricket has witnessed several instances of super-overs. Six balls is all that a team has to make an impact and preferably churn out the result of the match in their favour. Whatever has happened in the match previously does not count and batters have the license to go hammer and tongs from the first delivery itself, maximizing the opportunities that they have, to put runs on the board. For the bowling team, all they need is two wickets to end the innings of the side batting first in the Super Over. If they can do it before the sixth ball, then on most occasions they have an advantage. In this article, we shall take a look at what is the Super Over, how does it work and its rules.
What is a Super Over? See Rules and Regulations
As mentioned before, a Super Over in T20 cricket takes place when two teams end up with the exact same score at the end of the match. Each team gets six balls to play in a Super Over. Also, the rules are slightly different to what it has been during the match. Unlike the playing XI, a team can nominate three batters in a Super Over, which means if the bowlers takes two wickets, then the batting team is bowled out and their innings ends. The bowling team will choose one bowler to bowl this Super Over. Each team nominates three batters and the side which batted second in the actual match, will get to bat first in the Super Over. Now what happens if a Super Over is also tied? What Is Slow Over-Rate in Cricket? Know All About the Offense and Penalties Attached to It.
In such a case, another Super Over will follow and the players who participated in the first Super Over from both sides, will not be allowed to compete in this match. Super Overs will continue until the winner is decided. Also, the runs scored or wickets taken by players in Super Overs will not be counted as part of their stats. What about DRS? Each team is allowed one DRS per innings in a Super Over.
History of the Super Over
The first of these was between New Zealand and West Indies in a T20I way back in 2008. One of the fastest and easiest ways to arrive at a result is the Super Over, where each team gets six balls to make an impact. West Indies, boasting of the likes of Chris Gayle had won that Super Over where they scored 25/1 in the six balls. New Zealand could manage just 15 in response. Daniel Vettori had bowled that Super Over and till date, it remains the most expensive one bowled so far. So far, 18 Super Overs have been bowled in T20 internationals, the latest one of them being the one between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, which the former won earlier this year. Also, the T20 World Cup in 2009 was the first World Cup to have the Super Over.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 03, 2024 09:33 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).