Who says dead rubbers are boring? Or inconsequential for that matter? If people did, India and Afghanistan sure proved them wrong and how. In one of the most thrilling T20I finishes of all time, the winner was determined by a double Super Over. Yes, the first time ever in the history of international cricket. Despite both teams scoring 212 in their allotted 20 overs, and 16 more in the first Super Over of the contest, there was nothing to separate the two teams. To break the deadlock, a second Super Over had to be called for, and following a dramatic and somewhat controversial topsy-turvy turn of events, India managed to hold their nerves in a T20I for the ages.
Who, what, how, where and when? Hang on. We've got you covered. While it is fairly known that the infamous boundary count rule was done away with after the 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand, there are layers to the double Super Over rule which many aren't familiar with. So sit back and relax as we take you through all its nuances.
The same bowler cannot bowl the second Super Over
A bowler who has bowled the first Super Over, is not eligible to run in the second time around, which is why neither Azmatullah Omarzai, nor Mukesh Kumar were given the ball in the second Super Over. Both quicks had bowled out of their skins to concede 16 – the number may sound big but it was good enough in the context of a deciding over. With the match heading into another set of six deliveries, Afghanistan had to turn to Fareed Ahmed. After conceding a six and four, he did well to recover and limit India to 11. The 12-run target initially did not seem too big, but kudos to captain Rohit Sharma for executing a tactic out of the ordinary by turning to leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who picked two wickets in three balls to lead India to a famous victory.
What's with the batting switch?
A team batting first has to bat second in the next go. Like the case with any Super Over, the same rule applies to the second as well. A team which batted second in the designated 20 overs, on tying the match, will have to bat first in the Super Over, the reason why Afghanistan batted first after matching India's 212/4 with 212/6 of their own. And since India batted second, it was no surprise to see them play the first innings of the second Super Over. To sum it up, when it comes to Super Overs, no side can bat first or chase in back-to-back innings.
Ok, so the bowler can't bowl, but the batter can bat?
{{/usCountry}}A team batting first has to bat second in the next go. Like the case with any Super Over, the same rule applies to the second as well. A team which batted second in the designated 20 overs, on tying the match, will have to bat first in the Super Over, the reason why Afghanistan batted first after matching India's 212/4 with 212/6 of their own. And since India batted second, it was no surprise to see them play the first innings of the second Super Over. To sum it up, when it comes to Super Overs, no side can bat first or chase in back-to-back innings.
Ok, so the bowler can't bowl, but the batter can bat?
{{/usCountry}}Depends. As per the MCC laws, a batter who has been dismissed, in the first Super Over, cannot bat in the second. Before the Super Over stars, both teams finalise a list of batters they've opted for. If a batter is listed for the first Super Over but didn't bat or wasn't dismissed, he remains eligible to bat in the second Super Over. Similarly, if he/she is retired hurt, the player is within the rules to have another go.
That India preferred Sanju Samson over Yashasvi Jaiswal was purely a tactical call – the left-handed opener was unbeaten in the first Super Over – but Rinku Singh batted in the 2nd Super Over since he remained not out in the first after replacing Rohit. As for why Rohit batted, confusion still lingers. There is a difference between being retired and retired 'out'. If a batter is retired, he can bat again, but in case of the latter, he can't. As per what transpired, Rohit had 'retired out', which means he shouldn't have batted. But he did either way, which implies that he may have retired to let Rinku's fresh legs do the running between the wicket.
What if, through some miracle, the second Super Over is also a tie?
Well, in that case, your guess is as good as ours. We then enter a third Super Over. And this goes on and on until a winner is decided. Including last night's game, twice has a match been decided in a Double Super Over – the IPL 2020 fixture between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings marked the first instance. The world is yet to witness a triple Super Over – but given the speed at which cricket is evolving, do not rule it out. We will see it for s, just when though remains to be seen.