The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has witnessed a plenty of nail-biting finishes, but nothing can match the excitement generated by Super Overs in the history of T20 World Cups. The Super Over was conceived to disentangle tied matches in limited-over cricket.
List of 6 Super Overs In T20 World Cup History
1. India vs Pakistan – T20 World Cup 2007 (Bowl-Out Drama)
The first draw in T20 Word Cup matches was witnessed in the very first tournament played at Durban in 2007. India and Pakistan finished with 141 runs each in a nail-biting group stage match. Pakistan was 17 runs short in the final two overs. S Sreesanth and Joginder Sharma were at their best, and the match finished in dramatic fashion as Misbah-ul-Haq was run out in the final ball.
At that time, however, super overs were not introduced. Instead, a bowl-out was used to decide the match winner, just like in a football match penalty shootout.
India has hit the stumps 3 times.
Pakistan was unable to hit the stumps in all their attempts.
India won the match, signalling the start of what would eventually be known as official Super overs in the history of T20 World Cup.
2. New Zealand vs Sri Lanka – T20 World Cup 2012 (First Official Super Over)
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The 2012 tournament saw the first-ever official Super Over in international T20 World Cup history.
Both teams scored 174 runs at Pallekele. Sri Lanka scored 13 runs batting first in the super over.
Then Lasith Malinga produced a masterclass of bowling under pressure, giving away only 7 runs and winning the match for Sri Lanka.
The match introduced the fans to the thrill of super overs in T20 world cups.
3. New Zealand vs West Indies – T20 World Cup 2012
The same tournament saw another dramatic Super Over. West Indies set a target of 140, and New Zealand fell one run short, finishing off at 139/7. The tie took it to the Super Over.
In decider:
- Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels hit vital sixes.
- West Indies chased down the target in five balls only.
The Caribbean side showed their trademark power hitting, how Super Overs can just turn around the momentum in a trice.
4. Namibia vs Oman – T20 World Cup 2024
One of the most thrilling and unbelievable Super Overs in T20 World Cup history was documented between Namibia and Oman in 2024. Chasing a target of 109, Namibia drew the game in the nick of time through some heroics towards the end.
Super Over:
- Namibia made a brilliant total of 21 runs with the main contributor being David Wiese himself.
- Oman struggled to respond to that and scored only 10 runs.
- A memorable win was achieved by Namibia in one of the most interesting associate nation matches.
5. USA vs Pakistan – T20 World Cup 2024
Another big upset came in the 2024 tournament when the USA defeated Pakistan in a thriller via a Super Over.
After the match ended in a tie:
- The USA scored 18 runs in the Super Over.
- Saurabh Netravalkar excelled in defense of the total, allowing only 13 runs
- This outcome was one of the biggest shocks seen in the T20WC so far and demonstrated the magic of Super Overs in T20WC games.
6. South Africa vs Afghanistan – T20 World Cup 2026 (Double Super Over Thriller)
The current 2026 T20 World Cup saw the most dramatic conclusion so far, with a finish involving two Super Overs.
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad:
- South Africa finished at 187/6
- Afghanistan responded with a similar score, bowing out in 19.4 overs.
First Super Over:
- Afghanistan scored 17.
- South Africa equalled 17.
Second Super Over:
David Miller and Tristan Stubbs scored 23 runs. Afghanistan failed to score by four runs. This rare occurrence of a double Super Over has become one of the best moments in the history of Super Overs in the T20 World Cup.
ALSO READ: WI vs ENG, T20 World Cup 2026: West Indies Spinners Crush England To Seal Dominant 30-Run Win
