A day of Super Overs in the history of IPL and T20 format

By K.R. Nayar

UAE will be forever remembered for staging two tied matches with three super overs


October 18, 2020, will forever be known as cricket’s Super Over day, and the UAE be long referred to as the country that staged the historic day in the annals of Indian Premier League (IPL). This day will always be recalled for producing two tied matches with three super overs and remain a special day in the T20 format.

The Dream XI IPL is turning out to be a dream tournament for the fans. For fans in India, it was an IPL day that began on a Sunday and ended only on Monday as the match ended well past mid-night, keeping everyone awake and on the edge of their seats.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ win over Sunrisers Hyderabad through a Super Over, and Kings XI Punjab’s triumph over Mumbai Indians after two Super Overs, will remain as a script from cricket worthy of a Bollywood thriller. The beauty of this script is that in these matches it wasn’t a one hero show but of many heroes.

In the first match, it looked like Hyderabad skipper David Warner would emerge the hero following his fighting knock in their chase towards a target of 163, but an unexpected hero in the form of Kolkata’s pacer Lockie Ferguson emerged. New Zealand’s Ferguson, who was picked to play the first match of the season, bowled his heart out to ensure a tie and also win the Super Over.

The second match was such that ‘cricket’ deserved the player of the match award more than Punjab skipper KL Rahul. Though Rahul did play a great knock of 77, it was his fall at the crucial stage of the match that resulted in a tie.  In fact, it was Mayank Agarwal’s hand that won the match for Punjab. He flew like a bird to catch the six attempted by Kieron Pollard at the boundary and throw the ball back inside while still airborne before landing beyond the rope. It was the super scene of the match.  Similarly, in the Super Over, had Punjab’s Chris Gayle not cracked the first ball for a six, a win would not have been possible.

The first super over saw splendid bowling displays by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami.  It was their competition to prove who was deadlier that resulted in the second Super Over. India should be proud of these two pacers who are the toughest bowlers in world cricket today.

The impact of the win on Kolkata and Punjab is bound to be huge. All teams seem equally strong now, and anyone can reach the play-off stage. The stage is set for many super dramas to follow.

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