India won a thrilling double Super Over against Afghanistan
India and Afghanistan played a historic T20I match in Bengaluru on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. The match went to two Super Overs for the first time in international cricket, after both teams scored 212 runs in their 20 overs and 16 runs in their first Super Over. India eventually won the second Super Over by 10 runs, thanks to some brilliant bowling by Ravi Bishnoi and a masterful innings by Rohit Sharma, who was named the Player of the Match.
But what are the rules of a Super Over and how did India and Afghanistan switch their batting order in the second Super Over? Here is a brief explanation of the Super Over rules and how they were applied in this thrilling encounter.
What is a Super Over?
A Super Over is a tie-breaker method used in limited-overs cricket matches, when the scores of both teams are equal after the completion of their allotted overs. In a Super Over, each team nominates three batsmen and one bowler to play a single over each. The team that scores more runs in their Super Over wins the match. If the Super Over also ends in a tie, then the winner is decided by the following criteria, in order of priority:
- The team with the higher number of boundaries (fours and sixes) in the match and the Super Over combined.
- The team with the higher number of boundaries in the match only.
- The team that lost fewer wickets in the match and the Super Over combined.
- The team that lost fewer wickets in the match only.
- A countback from the final ball of the Super Over, where the team with the higher scoring delivery wins.
If none of these criteria can break the tie, then another Super Over is played, until there is a clear winner.
What happened in the first Super Over?
In the first Super Over, Afghanistan batted first, as they had batted second in the 20-over innings. They scored 16 runs, with Mohammad Nabi hitting two sixes off Mukesh Kumar. India also scored 16 runs, with Rohit Sharma smashing two sixes and a four off Azmatullah Omarzai. However, Rohit was dismissed on the last ball, caught by Gulbadin Naib at long-on. This meant that the first Super Over was also tied, and the match went to a second Super Over.
What happened in the second Super Over?
In the second Super Over, India batted first, as they had batted first in the first Super Over. This is according to the rule that the teams switch their batting order in the subsequent Super Overs. India scored 11 runs, with Rohit hitting a six and a four off Fareed Ahmad. However, Rohit was retired hurt after being hit on the helmet by a bouncer. This meant that he could not bat again in the second Super Over, as per the rule that the batsman dismissed or retired in the first Super Over is not eligible to bat in the second Super Over. India also lost two more wickets, as Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh were run out.
Afghanistan needed 12 runs to win the match, but they could only manage one run, as Ravi Bishnoi took two wickets in three balls. He dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mohammad Nabi, both caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal. India won the second Super Over by 10 runs, and clinched the series 3-0.
What was the controversy?
There was some confusion and controversy over Rohit Sharma’s eligibility to bat in the second Super Over, after he was retired hurt in the first Super Over. Some argued that he should have been allowed to bat, as he was not dismissed or retired out, but retired hurt. However, the umpires ruled that he was not eligible to bat, as per the ICC playing conditions for T20Is, which state that:
“Should any batsman be dismissed or retire for any reason in the first Super Over, he/she shall not be eligible to bat in the second Super Over. Should any batsman be injured and unable to return to the crease during the first Super Over, he/she shall be ineligible to bat in the second Super Over.”
This rule was introduced in October 2019, after the ICC scrapped the boundary count rule that decided the winner of the 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand. The rule was intended to prevent teams from exploiting the loophole of retiring their batsmen in the first Super Over, to bring back their best hitters in the second Super Over.
Therefore, the umpires were correct in ruling that Rohit Sharma could not bat in the second Super Over, as he was retired hurt in the first Super Over. This was also confirmed by the ICC match referee, Javagal Srinath, who said that the umpires followed the playing conditions correctly.
What was the reaction?
The match was hailed as one of the most thrilling and dramatic T20Is ever played, with both teams showing great skill and spirit. Rohit Sharma was praised for his heroic knock of 121 not out off 69 balls in the 20-over innings, and his 18 runs off 7 balls in the Super Overs. He also became the first batsman to score a century and a fifty in the same T20I match. Ravi Bishnoi was lauded for his nerveless bowling in the second Super Over, as he defended 11 runs and took two wickets. Afghanistan also earned respect for their fighting performance, as they matched India’s score in the 20-over innings and the first Super Over, and gave them a tough challenge throughout the series.
The match also sparked a debate over the Super Over rules, and whether they are fair and clear. Some suggested that the Super Over should be scrapped altogether, and the match should be declared a tie, if the scores are level after the 20-over innings. Others proposed that the Super Over should be extended to two or three overs per team, to reduce the chances of a tie. Some also questioned the logic of switching the batting order in the subsequent Super Overs, and whether it gives an advantage to the team that bats second in the 20-over innings.
What do you think of the Super Over rules and the match between India and Afghanistan? Let us know in the comments section below.
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