A Super Over gives each team one over to settle a tied T20 match, but a side's innings ends immediately if it loses two wickets. Under the ICC men's T20I conditions checked for this guide, another Super Over follows if the scores are still level, subject to the time available. The team scoring more runs wins, regardless of which side lost more wickets.
The details below follow Appendix F of the ICC men's Twenty20 International Playing Conditions linked from the official ICC directory, which identifies the current men's T20I document as the October 2026 edition. They should not be applied automatically to every domestic competition or every other format.
| Question | ICC men's T20I procedure |
|---|---|
| How many balls? | One over of six balls per side, unless the innings ends earlier |
| How many wickets? | Two wickets end the innings |
| Who bats first? | The team that batted second in the match |
| Another tie? | Repeat Super Overs, subject to time constraints |
| Reviews? | One unsuccessful player review per innings per Super Over |
How many wickets are allowed in a Super Over?
Two wickets are enough to close the batting side's Super Over innings. That makes the contest very different from an ordinary over in the main innings. A captain cannot keep sending out batters after the second dismissal simply because some deliveries remain.
For example, imagine a side scores eight runs and loses its second wicket on the fourth legal delivery. Its innings is over at that point. The opponent needs nine runs to win that Super Over; eight would leave the scores tied and send the teams towards another decider if it can be played. These numbers are an illustration, rather than a match result.
Wickets do not become a separate tie breaker. If both sides finish with the same runs, a side that lost no wickets does not win merely because its opponent lost one. Appendix F defines the winner by runs and provides for further Super Overs when those runs are equal.
Who bats and bowls in the second Super Over?
The batting order reverses between successive Super Overs. The team that chased in the first Super Over bats first in the second. If a third is needed, the side that batted second in the second goes first again. Viewers should follow the immediately preceding Super Over, rather than keep referring back to the main match innings.
Player eligibility changes too. A batter dismissed in any earlier Super Over cannot bat in a later one. The bowling restriction works differently: a bowler who delivered the previous Super Over cannot bowl the next. The document does not describe that bowling restriction as a permanent exclusion from every later Super Over.
Only nominated match players, including concussion replacements, may participate. Teams cannot add a specialist from outside that group for the decider. Any penalty time being served carries forward, so selection for the main match continues to matter after its scores are tied.
What happens to reviews, fielding restrictions and the ball?
Each team has one unsuccessful player review per innings per Super Over. That entitlement is separate from the unsuccessful reviews used in the main match. For the broader review process, see our DRS rules guide.
The fielding restrictions are those applicable to the final over of an uninterrupted match. The fielding side chooses the end for its initial over. In a subsequent Super Over, it bowls from the opposite end to the one it used in the previous decider. The balls selected by the teams are used again by the same teams in later Super Overs.
How long before a Super Over starts, and can it be abandoned?
In normal circumstances, the first Super Over begins five minutes after the match concludes. The interval between its two overs is also five minutes. A subsequent Super Over normally begins five minutes after the previous one finishes. Weather and the match referee's arrangements can affect whether that schedule is possible.
The procedure allows extra time for interruptions and recognises unavoidable limits, such as a deadline for switching off floodlights. The referee may limit the number of possible Super Overs and must advise both captains before the first starts. If the Super Over process is abandoned before completion, the cited conditions declare the match a tie.
A Super Over settles an individual tied match; net run rate answers a different question about standings. Our net run rate calculation guide explains that distinction, while the follow-on explainer covers a separate rule used in longer cricket. For a particular tournament, check its own published conditions before assuming this international procedure applies unchanged.
