List: Tied Matches in T20 World Cup History

“The scores are level. We’re going to have a Super Over!” – You must have heard this quite a few times in limited-overs cricket after a match ended in a tie.

The T20I format has also seen a fair share of matches conclude in dramatic ties. However, when it comes to the T20 World Cup, it’s quite a rare sight.

Despite that, we have witnessed a few breathtakingly tied matches that had thrilling finishes in the Super Overs.

On that note, we’ll list the tied matches in T20 World Cup history.

1. India vs Pakistan | Durban, 2007

Matches between arch-rivals India and Pakistan always have something. And this one had more than what you would’ve asked for.

After being put in to bat first, India were in a precarious condition at 36 for 4. Then Robin Uthappa played a rescue act, scoring a daunting fifty. Later, captain MS Dhoni (33) and Irfan Pathan (20) pushed the total to 141 runs.

In response, Pakistan lost their first wicket on 12 runs. But they quickly made a comeback and were cruising towards the target. Then, they lost three wickets in the space of four runs, leaving them at 47 for 4.

Misbah-ul-Haq played a saviour’s role, keeping them alive in the match. However, he couldn’t take Pakistan home as he got run out while taking the second run on the last ball, ending the match in a tie.

Unlike the Super Over method used nowadays as a tie-breaker, a Bowl-Out method was used to determine the winner back in the day. 

Bowl-out? Yes. So, both sides had five chances to hit the stumps, with the team hitting it most being adjudged the winner.

The result? Indian bowlers managed to smash the stumps in the first three attempts. 

And Pakistani bowlers? They couldn’t even deliver the ball near the wickets, let alone hit it, handing India a remarkable victory.

2. Sri Lanka vs New Zealand | Pallekele, 2012

The 2012 T20 World Cup witnessed not one but two matches ending in a tie. The first of the lot involved hosts Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Batting first, New Zealand posted a challenging total of 174 runs on the board, all thanks to the valuable contributions from their top four batters.

In reply, Sri Lanka got off to a flyer, with openers putting up a partnership of 80 runs. It looked like Sri Lanka would chase the target easily. But they lost wickets at crucial points, leading the match to end in a tie.

A Super Over followed soon, where the hosts scored 13 runs. With 14 needed to win, the Kiwi batters couldn’t connect with the ball well, falling short by seven runs.

3. New Zealand vs West Indies | Pallekele, 2012

If one tied match is a lot to handle, New Zealand endured two. And that too within four days! This time against the West Indies.

New Zealand won the toss and asked the Windies to bat first. Led by Doug Bracewell (3/31) and Tim Southee (3/12), New Zealand bowlers bundled out the Windies for 139 runs.

In reply, the Kiwis kept losing wickets at regular intervals, putting the game hanging by the thread. But, captain Ross Taylor held his nerves and scored a gutsy 62 not out off 40 deliveries, keeping New Zealand in the contest.

Now everything came down to the last ball. Runs required to win? Two. Batter on strike? Bracewell, who had earlier delivered a good spell. 

Bracewell flicked a full toss towards the square leg. They completed the first run. But on their return, Bracewell got run out, ending the match in a thrilling tie. 

Taylor continued his form in the Super Over as well, helping New Zealand score 17 runs. But guess what? His efforts went in vain as Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels powered the Windies to a comfortable win.

4. Namibia vs Oman | Bridgetown, 2024

Four editions passed by without a tied contest. And then came the 2024 edition with two tied games.

The first one involved Namibia and Oman in a low-scoring match in Bridgetown. It was also the first time two associate nations featured in a tied encounter in the T20 World Cup.

Put in to bat first, Oman mustered a below-par 109 as Namibia’s Ruben Trumpelmann (4/21) and David Wiese (3/28) ran through their batting lineup.

The target wasn’t big. But Namibia’s chase turned out to be a nail-biter. 

Namibia faced an early setback, losing their first wicket on the second ball. Nikolaas Davin (24 off 31) and Jan Frylinck (45 off 48) then put them back on track. 

The equation came down to five needed off six balls. Surely Namibia would’ve imagined an easy win here. But then came the twist!

On the next three balls, Namibia lost two wickets for zero runs! Oman started dreaming.

The equation now? Five needed off three. The Namibian’s took a single and a double to leave two runs on the last ball. But all they could muster was a single to tie the match.

Time for the Super Over. David Wiese, who failed to get those two runs, started with a four and a six for Namibia. Then his captain, Gerhard Erasmus, joined him by hitting two fours on the last two balls to set up a 22-run target.

Wiese got another chance to be Namibia’s hero. And he just did that! He held his nerves and conceded just 10 runs, handing Namibia a thrilling escape.

5. USA vs Pakistan | Dallas, 2024

The second tied match of 2024 took place in Dallas between hosts USA and Pakistan.

After being asked to bat first, Pakistan faced early jolts. The hosts reduced them to 26 for 3. 

Then, captain Babar Azam (44 off 43) and Shadab Khan (40 off 25) stabilised the innings, putting up a 72-run partnership.

But once Shadab got out on 98, things fizzled for them. Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals and managed to put up a decent 159 on the board.

In response, the USA looked pretty much in control till the 14th over. Andries Gous (35 off 26) had given them a good start. And captain Monank Patel had just raised his fifty off 34 balls. 

But both were back in the dugout with the chase far from done. How much did they need? 49 off six overs. 

Not many runs. But with two new batters in, it was bound to be difficult, especially against Pakistan’s experienced pace attack. 

Despite that, the USA brought the match down to the last ball. Four to tie and five to win.

Then Nitish Kumar smashed a four over mid-off to level the scores, sending the game into the Super Over.

The USA put up 18 runs in the Super Over. Eleven came off the bat of Aaron Jones. And the other seven? From the wayward wide deliveries bowled by Mohammad Amir. 

Saurabh Netravalkar had the ball in his hand to defend the runs. And he aced it under pressure, conceding 13 runs to hand Pakistan a shocking upset.

6. Afghanistan vs South Africa | Ahmedabad, 2026

The 2026 edition was off the blocks with a few thrilling matches. The only thing missing? A tied match.

But we got one in the 13th match between Afghanistan and South Africa. And what was special about this one? It took two Super Overs to decide the winner!

Two Super Overs in a T20I had happened only once in 2024. That match also involved Afghanistan against India in Bengaluru. This time, the opponent and venue were different.

Afghanistan asked South Africa to bat first. Quinton de Kock (59 off 41) and Ryan Rickelton (61 off 28) helped the Proteas post 187 for 6.

Afghanistan came out strong, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz leading the charge. But then came the fall. The Afghans went from 51 for 0 to 52 for 3 real quick.

Despite that, Gurbaz remained in his zone, finding regular boundaries. The Afghans were cruising fine before Gurbaz’s (84 off 42) dismissal on 121 for 4.

Then Azmatullah Omarzai (22 off 17) and Rashid Khan (20 off 12) kept them in the fight. But both returned before they could finish things off.

Now the Afghans’ hopes rested on Noor Ahmad. And he didn’t disappoint at all. He hit two sixes to narrow the gap. 

The luck was on Afghanistan’s side as well. Kagiso Rabada bowled two no-balls and a wide in the last over to take five runs off Afghanistan’s target.

Runs required? Two. Balls remaining? Three. Wickets remaining? Just one.

Noor played towards the long-off and set off for a double with Fazalhaq Farooqi. But the throw came in towards the non-strikers’ end before Farooqi made his ground. And Afghanistan were all out for 187 with two balls to spare!

The first Super Over: Afghanistan scored 17. South Africa needed seven off one. Then Tristan Stubbs hit a six to tie the Super Over.

The second Super Over: Stubbs and David Miller added 23 runs. Afghanistan were 0 for 1 in two balls. Now they needed four sixes off four balls. Gurbaz was on strike. And he nailed three sixes off three balls. A wide followed to make things spicy. Five needed off one. A four would mean another tie. Gurbaz looked to crunch it for four, but he handed a catch to end Afghanistan’s fight. 

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