IPL 2020: Why Were Two Super Overs Played In The MI-KXIP Match?

Super Sunday of the 2020 Indian Premier League saw history being made with both the matches requiring Super Overs to decide the winner. In the first match, Lockie Ferguson's heroics with the ball saw the Kolkata Knight Riders triumph over the SunRisers Hyderabad in the Super Over.

The second fixture between the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab saw further history being made with two Super Overs being required to break the tie between two teams for the first time.

Why were two Super Overs played in the MI-KXIP match?

Following the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, the International Cricket Council changed rules to decide tied matches after England beat New Zealand in controversial fashion in the final. With the scores tied at the end of the match, a Super Over was played for the first time in a men's Word Cup final. However, the scores were tied even in the Super Over. According to the rules, England were crowned champions as they had hit more boundaries than New Zealand in the final.

Following criticism, the ICC amended the rules so that Super Overs will be played until a clear winner is determined.

What are the new rules for tied matches?

In the event of a tied match, a Super Over will be played with the winner being the team which scores the most runs in the over. In the event that the Super Over scores are tied, another Super Over will be played to determine the winner.

However, batsmen who were dismissed in the previous Super Overs will be ineligible to bat in the next Super Over. Similarly, the bowler who bowled the previous Super Over cannot bowl the subsequent one.

In the event that Super Overs cannot be played, the match will be abandoned with both teams allotted a point each.