A Super Over is one of the tiebreakers in cricket that decides the winner of a match when both teams score equal number of runs at the end of their innings; i.e., a tied match. It was introduced in the T20 format first, and later in the One Day International format.
During the 2011 World Cup, the Super Over was officially inducted as a tiebreaker for tied matches. However, it wasn’t witnessed in this tournament as no match ended in a tie. When the 2015 World Cup arrived, the use of Super Over was reserved only for the final match.
The 2019 World Cup witnessed the final of the match employ the Super Over for the first time. However, both teams scored the same number of runs in the Super Over as well. The winner of the match (and the tournament) was eventually decided by the controversial boundary count rule, which is now defunct.
In One Day International cricket, Super Over is used in World Cups only in the knockout stages. In the league phase of this competition, if a match is tied, then both sides get equal number of points. But in a knockout match, the Super Over decides the winner. If both teams score the same number of runs in the Super Over, then another Super Over is played till a clear winner is identified. Bilateral series between cricket playing nations sanctioned by the International Cricket Council also see the Super Over pan out in tied matches.
In a Super Over, an innings (of six balls) ends prematurely if two batters are dismissed. Before the super over, both teams get five minutes to decide their two batters and the bowler who shall bowl the Super Over. The team who batted second bats first in the Super Over. If a Super Over is to be repeated, then the two dismissed batters from the previous Super Over are not allowed to bat in the subsequent Super Overs.
The number of runs scored in the Super Over are independent of the team’s total in the scheduled innings and also independent of the runs scored in subsequent Super Overs.
Compared to a bowl out and the boundary count rule, the Super Over is a balanced alternative to a tied cricket match. As of March 2025, only four tied One Day International matches have been decided by a Super Over.
