The IPL contest between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2009 witnessed the first-ever tie and a Super Over.
Follow Us
In Twenty20 matches, a tie is one of the most exciting results. In the beginning, in order to decide the winner of a tied game, there would be a bowl-off in a T20 match. This would involve six bowlers trying to hit the stumps unless there was a gap of two or more. However, that was soon discredited and a new Super Over was introduced. The Super Over would involve one bowler bowling six balls and only three batters would be permitted to bat. If a bowler took two wickets, then the Super Over was concluded.
Prior to the IPL, there were two tied games in Twenty20 Internationals. The New Zealand vs West Indies match in Auckland as well as the India vs Pakistan 2007 World T20 clash in Durban were tied. It was in Durban that the Indian Premier League witnessed a classic tied game. It would be the first Super Over encounter in the IPL.
Read More: IPL Moment No.8 – MS Dhoni Does the Double Javed Miandad
In the match at Durban, Kolkata Knight Riders chose to bowl and they struck immediately. They removed Paul Valthaty and Rob Quiney to leave Rajasthan Royals reeling at 14/2. Graeme Smith and Yusuf Pathan shared a solid stand of 56 to revive the Royals. But, just as Yusuf looked good for a fifty, he was dismissed by Ajantha Mendis. The Sri Lankan got the wicket of Smith for 15 as Rajasthan Royals slid further. Ravindra Jadeja, Dimitri Mascarenhas, and Abhishek Raut chipped in with vital cameos to help Rajasthan Royals end on 150/6.
Read More: Chris Gayle – The Ultimate Six-Hitting and Run Machine in T20s
Chasing 151, Kolkata Knight Riders stumbled. But, Chris Gayle kept them in the hunt by hammering four sixes in his knock of 41 from 33 balls. When Gayle was dismissed, KKR managed just 34 runs in six overs for the loss of three wickets. Sourav Ganguly, though, changed the entire complexion of the match by hammering two sixes off Munaf Patel.
Ganguly and Yashpal Singh went after the bowling. Despite Yashpal falling to Shane Warne, Kolkata Knight Riders needed seven runs off the final over. Kamran Khan, a left-arm pacer with a slingshot action, took the wicket of Sourav Ganguly in the fifth ball. On the final ball, Ishant was run-out taking the second as the match was tied. A Super Over was been bowled to decide the result.
Kolkata Knight Riders chose Brendon McCullum and Gayle to open the batting in the Super Over. Kamran Khan, who had defended seven runs, was tasked with bowling the Super Over. Gayle blasted three consecutive fours and Kolkata Knight Riders ended up on 15. The Royals needed 16. Yusuf Pathan was the chosen batsmen, with Ravindra Jadeja and Mascarenhas the other two. Ajantha Mendis was tasked with bowling the Super Over.
Yusuf blasted a six-first ball but was dropped by Brad Hodge off the second ball. KKR had missed the chance to win the match. Yusuf made them pay by hammering a six and a four as Rajasthan Royals won a dramatic Super Over. The first tied match in IPL history lived up to the hype and expectation. In later editions, there would be dramatic ties in the IPL.
