IPL in the UAE set to create history with two Super Over finishes in just ten matches

 By K.R. Nayar

The edge-of-the-seat thrilling Rajasthan Royals Bangalore-Mumbai Indians match makes one wonder whether such thrillers can happen in T20 too as UAE presents the second Super Over finish in ten matches

If the oncoming matches continue to happen as it has been in the first ten matches of this Indian Premier League (IPL) edition, it is very likely to become the best of all editions in the history of this event. Following Royals Challengers Bangalore’s nail-biting Super Over win over Mumbai Indians on Monday night at the Dubai International Stadium, this is the second match of the ten matches so far in this edition that has ended in a tie and the winner decided through the Super Over.

A new record for the highest run chase has already been registered from Sunday’s match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. In the same venue, on September 22nd, the record for the highest number of sixes in an IPL match too has been recorded. Never before has any T20 League started off dishing out such top-class performances, and that too also almost every match ending as a thriller.

Monday’s match between Mumbai and Bangalore was nothing but unbelievable cricket. In the end, we are forced to ask ourselves whether such matches can happen in T20 as well?  When Bangalore posted a total of 201 for 3 through young Devdutt Padikkkal, coming good again with a half-century and Aaron Finch too cracking another half-century, and with finishing touches by AB De Villiers‘s 24-ball 55 runs, no one would have thought it would end in a tie. Unreal things were already happening during the match like the consistent Virat Kohli failing again with the bat and De Villiers playing unbelievable shots.

Mumbai then took everyone on a roller coaster ride with some more unreal cricket like the Hitman of Indian cricket and captain Rohit Sharma lasting just eight balls, top four of the Mumbai Indian batsmen out for just 78 runs, and with half the number of overs already consumed! What then followed was a continuation of more unbelievable happenings when an innocent-looking left-hander, who just turned 22, transformed himself into a destroyer of the bowlers.  This youngster who hails from Jharkhand, the same state as Mahendra Singh Dhoni, began hitting sixes with the same ease as that of Chris Gayle.

With 79 runs needed in the last four overs, it looked like Mumbai was heading towards a defeat; but once again unreal things began to happen with Kieron Pollard hitting every delivery within his range for boundaries and sixes.  The thrilling script of the match had a tragic ending when the young hero Kishan fell one run short of his century, and when his team lost in the Super Over, his spectacular effort went in vain.

The only incident in the entire match that happened as expected was in the Super Over. Two of the world’s greatest batsmen in Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers did not fail and ensured their team’s win.  It was a happy and memorable ending for Kohli in his 150th T20 match as captain.