October 18 witnessed a freakish day in the history of Twenty20 cricket as Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings played out two Super Overs which was unprecedented in the game.
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In Twenty20 cricket, if the regular match ends in a tie, then a Super Over is played to determine the winner. However, what if the Super Over is also tied? This was the situation during the IPL 2020 game between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings in Dubai. The Ring of Fire witnessed a brilliant encounter between the two sides as the cricket world was left stunned. The IPL 2020 was a contrasting story for both sides. Mumbai Indians had dominated the tournament. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, had made it a habit of botching up run-chases in spectacular fashion.
Heading into the match, Punjab Kings needed to win in order to stay in contention for the playoff race. The match started with Mumbai Indians opting to bat. Quinton de Kock blasted a brilliant fifty to lay the base for Mumbai Indians. Krunal Pandya contributed with a vital 34 but it was Kieron Pollard who gave the finishing impetus. He blasted four sixes in his 12-ball 34 and he was helped by Nathan Coulter-Nile’s 24 as Mumbai Indians ended on 176/6. In response, KL Rahul hammered 77 but things became very tense. Deepak Hooda struck a couple of crucial blows and the equation came down to two runs off one ball.
Hooda and Chris Jordan were at the crease, with Trent Boult bowling the final over. Jordan dug out a yorker to long-on and took the single to level the scores. But, when he turned, his running became suspect. Jordan turned around in a big circle and he was running two pitches off the main pitch. He lost at least four yards doing that and was beaten by an inch by Pollard’s throw. The match went into the Super Over.
Jordan’s miscalculation was not the first brain fade he had suffered in IPL 2020. In the game against Delhi Capitals, he was deemed one-run short. Although that was the fault of the umpires, his finishing was under question. In that match, Punjab Kings lost two wickets in the final two balls and were beaten in the Super Over by Delhi Capitals.
Now, in this match against Mumbai Indians, the pressure was immense. Jasprit Bumrah, one of the best death bowlers in the world, was tasked to bowling the Super Over as per plan. He nailed yorkers at will and gave away just five runs. He also took the wicket of KL Rahul while Nicholas Pooran was run-out. Mumbai Indians just needed six runs to win the match.
However, what Bumrah did, Mohammed Shami replicated it brilliantly. Shami also nailed yorkers accurately. Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock failed to get six runs and Mumbai Indians managed only five. Quinton de Kock was run out and the first Super Over was tied. Chaos and confusion reigned as to what would be the result.
There was massive confusion when the first Super Over was tied. The stipulation stated that until the match result is not decided, there were will be more Super Overs. This had come in the aftermath of the chaotic result of the 2019 ICC World Cup. New Zealand was robbed of the title against England in the final due to a technicality of ‘superior boundary count’. Here, the confusion was of a different level.
The main focus was on who would come out to bat and bowl. Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, and KL Rahul had batted in the first Super Over. Thus, they could not come out to bat again. There was confusion over Kieron Pollard. He was listed to bat but had not faced a delivery because de Kock was run-out in the final ball. After deliberations, it was decided that Pollard would be allowed to bat in the second Super Over.
This time, it was Mumbai Indians who would bat. Kieron Pollard came out along with Hardik Pandya. Chris Jordan was tasked with bowling the second Super Over. He conceded a boundary but Hardik Pandya was run out by Jordan. Jordan nailed the wide yorkers as Mumbai Indians managed 11. The score could have been 13 but Mayank Agarwal’s brilliant fielding saved a boundary. But, Mumbai Indians could not bowl Jasprit Bumrah and thus Trent Boult was tasked.
In the regulation match, he had defended eight runs in the final over. Now, he had to defend 11. Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal came out to bat. Boult missed his yorker and he was hit for a six by Gayle. Agarwal then muscled two boundaries to finally win the game for Punjab Kings.
After the end of the match, Agarwal said the match was historic. “This is sport. It can get hard, but you definitely can’t do without it. For a moment or two, the DC game was in the back of my head, but the thinking was to watch the ball and hit the ball. It is amazing to be part of this game, which will go down in history,” Agarwal said.
The reactions by netizens were of bemusement and shock. But, in the end, fans in Dubai and on TV witnessed one of the all-time great matches in cricket. The repercussions of the match would impact both teams. Mumbai Indians would miss Rohit Sharma for some games after he sustained an injury. That injury resulted in plenty of confusion over his availability for the tour of Australia. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, kept themselves in the hunt for the playoffs before losing to Chennai Super Kings in the last game.
Mumbai Indians would go on to win the title for the fifth time. It was a brilliant way to stamp their domination in the tournament. But, for many, the match against Punjab Kings will be remembered for ages.
