‘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
First up on the list is the group-stage match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan from the inaugural T20 World Cup.
After being put in to bat first, India were in a precarious condition at 36 for 4, until 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 quickly made a comeback and were cruising towards the target. Then, they lost 3 wickets in the space of 4 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 tie-breakers, a Bowl-Out method was used to determine the winner back in the day. Both sides had 5 chances to hit the stumps, with the team hitting it most being adjudged the winner.
Indian bowlers managed to smash the stumps in the first 3 attempts, while Pakistani bowlers couldn’t even deliver the ball near the wickets, handing India a remarkable victory.
2. Sri Lanka vs New Zealand | Pallekele, 2012
The 2012 T20 World Cup witnessed not one but 2 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 4 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 the ball well, falling short by 7 runs.
3. New Zealand vs West Indies | Pallekele, 2012
Just 4 days after their thrilling match against Sri Lanka, New Zealand found themselves in yet another tied match, 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. However, captain Ross Taylor held his nerves and scored a gutsy 62 not out off 40 deliveries, keeping New Zealand in the contest.
They needed 2 runs on the last ball, but Bracewell got run out while scoring the second run, ending the match in a thrilling tie.
Taylor continued his form in the Super Over as well, helping New Zealand score 17 runs. However, his effort went in vain as Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels powered the Windies to a comfortable win.
4. Namibia vs Oman | Bridgetown, 2024
After over a decade’s gap, fans got to witness the fourth tied match in the 2024 T20 World Cup. For the first time, 2 associate nations were involved in a tied encounter in the T20 World Cup.
Oman and Namibia played out a gripping, low-scoring match in Bridgetown. Put in to bat first, Oman mustered a below-par 109 runs as Namibia’s Ruben Trumpelmann (4/21) and David Wiese (3/28) ran through their batting lineup.
The target wasn’t big, but it 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) put them back on track, but Oman’s bowlers didn’t let loose and pulled off a tie.
In the Super Over, David Wiese got going with four and six, and captain Gerhard Erasmus jumped on the bandwagon by hitting 2 fours on the last 2 balls to set up a 22-run target.
Wiese was entrusted with the ball to take his side home, and he just did that. He held his nerves and conceded 10 runs, handing Namibia a thrilling escape.
5. USA vs Pakistan | Dallas, 2024
The 2024 edition witnessed yet another tied encounter taking place in Dallas between co-hosts USA and Pakistan. This was the first time both teams were meeting on the international stage.
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan faced early jolts as the USA 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, Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals, managing to put up a decent 159 on the board.
In response, the USA batters played according to the situation, keeping the scoreboard ticking. Captain Monank Patel led from the front (50 off 38) and got valuable support from Andries Gous (35 off 26) and Aaron Jones (36* off 26).
With 5 required off the last ball, 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, with a few wayward deliveries from Mohammad Amir contributing to wide extras. 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.
