What is Super Over?

First used in a Twenty20 (T20) cricket match, a Super Over is a method to break a tie to determine the winner. The teams play an extra over and whichever team scores the most runs wins the game. If the match again ends in a tie, then another Super Over is played.

History of Super Over

Although it was introduced in 2008 to replace the bowl-out method to break a tie, it was brought into focus in 2011 during the One Day International World Cup knockout stage but was not used. For the consequent World Cup matches, Super Over was used to break a tie.

Rules

According to Law 21.5 stated in Standard Twenty20 International Match Playing Conditions, if the match has ended with equal scores, it's a tie, and the account of wickets won't be taken under consideration. The teams will compete in one over per side eliminator to determine the winner of the match. The Law came into effect from October 1, 2012.

Each team selects three batsmen, which means two wickets for their Super Over. Whichever team batted second in the original game will bat first in Super Over.

If Super Over also ends in a tie, another Super Over is played but if that also ends in a tie, then the winner will be determined by the number of boundaries scored throughout the match, excluding Super Over.

If the Super Over match has to use the Duckworth–Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, the Super Over goes to the count-back criteria to ascertain the winner.

CHANGES

After the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final Super Over, where England won on grounds of boundary count, ICC changed the rule that if a Super Over is tied in the group stage, the match will be called a tie, but in Knock-Out stages, Super Overs will be repeated until the winner comes through.