IPL Super Overs: Finishes that simply don’t fade away

If T20 is a fresh shower of good cricket, the Super Over or one-over eliminator is a blast of perfume on top of that. There is nothing as exciting in cricket as a closely fought last ball finish. However, the super-over thrill has taken the close finish to another level.

Who knew that 12 extra balls could add so much tension and excitement? Who knew that they could take the game to a different sphere of drama altogether? The IPL Super Over is an unforgettable spectacle, and it’s little wonder that matches decided in this manner simple don’t fade away from the viewers’ memories.

Of the six IPL Super Over finishes, we take a look at two of the freshest and most memorable ones:

Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2015 – The Aussie big-hitting fest

The tension-filled RR vs KXIP match that ended in a Super Over

The one on April 21st in the game between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals is not only the most recent in memory but also one of the most exciting ever. Firstly, the match itself was incredible; Rajasthan Royals set KXIP a massive target of 192, and the Punjabis never looked like getting to it. But some David Miller – Shaun Marsh pyrotechnics took them close to an inconceivable victory. Axar Patel, needing five to win, then smashed the last ball for four to take the game into the Super Over.

Shaun Marsh sparkles – David Miller and Shaun Marsh walked out for KXIP while Chris Morris took the ball for RR. The first ball was a full toss that the usually murderous Miller missed, getting out LBW. Shaun Marsh smashed the third ball for a four to the cover boundary, and to make matters worse, it was a waist high full-toss given no-ball. The next ball was flicked nonchalantly to the square leg boundary. Morris followed the short half-tracker with a full toss that was hit so hard by Marsh straight down the ground, that the long off fielder just a couple of metres away couldn’t get to it. The last ball was a full in-swinging yorker that Marsh missed. For reasons only known to the umpire, it was not given out LBW and KXIP managed a leg bye.

Johnson shows who’s the boss – The RR Super Over batting team had three Australian batsmen, facing the fiery Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson. Showing his cards too early, Shane Watson made room exposing his stumps, and Johnson fired in a fast yorker. Watson missed the ball in his swing, his off-stump being sent for a cartwheel. But in an almost mirror-image of the first over of the eliminator, Johnson bowled a waist-high full toss the next ball which Steven Smith edged for a four to third man, with the delivery declared no-ball. The fourth ball, however, wrapped up things for KXIP as James Faulkner not only missed a length ball but went wandering out of the crease in his follow through. Alert to the situation, wicket-keeper Saha threw the stumps down, Faulkner miles out.

KXIP managed to put their hands into the jaws of defeat and drag the match back. For the sheer pace of the last one hour, this match will remain in collective memory for a while as one of the best IPL games ever.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2014 – A low-scoring thriller

KKR and RR have a history at the IPL. The first ever Super Over was played between these two teams, with Shane Warne trusting his young war-horses to win the game for him. The match hasn’t faded away from memory, largely because of the smartness that Steven Smith showed under tremendous pressure. More importantly, it is the only Super Over to end up as a tie in terms of scores.

RR batting first managed just 152 in their 20 overs, but KKR were in trouble at 88 for four in the 14th over. Suryakumar Yadav then played a lovely cameo of 31 in 19 balls, and was ably supported by Shakib Al Hasan’s 29 in 18.

Needing just 16 off 12 balls, KKR succumbed to Faulkner’s bag of tricks, scoring just four runs in the penultimate over and losing three wickets. Shakib managed to tie the scores with a four and two twos, taking the game into the Super Over.

A bit of Faulkner magic

Faulkner took the ball against KKR, with Suryakumar Yadav and Manish Pandey walking out to bat. Yadav was run out the very first ball trying to steal an extra leg bye, and the next two balls went only for singles as Faulkner got his length full both times and kept it straight. The fourth ball offered length and width and Pandey managed to get the entire meat of the bat underneath it, walloping the ball for a six over long on. The next two balls again wentfor singles, RR getting a target of 12 to win the Super Over and the match.

The super-calm Smith

Shane Watson and Steven Smith walked out for RR while Sunil Narine bowled for KKR. Narine got his first ball perfectly right, full and straight, which was clobbered by Watson for a single to long-on. The first three balls were uneventful, and RR managed just four off them, but the fourth one was a length ball that Watson absolutely muscled to deep midwicket, just above the reach of Pandey stationed over there. Watson then managed a single to long off in the penultimate ball, leaving Smith three to get off the last ball.

However, Smith was alert to the fact that RR needed just two to tie the game. And all they needed was to tie the game to win the Super Over on the basis of boundary count. Smith dealt with the last ball from Narine in the coolest way a last ball has ever been dealt with. He walked out to Narine, timed the ball to deep extra cover and ran two comfortably. In doing so, he ensured RR broke KKR hearts once again, a defeat they would want to avenge some day!

Such finishes don’t fade away from one’s memory easily and will be talked about for a really long time.