What happens if a Super Over is tied? Men's T20 World Cup 2026 rules

The short answer: play another Super Over

Under the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 playing conditions, a tied Super Over leads to another Super Over. The teams keep repeating the process until there is a winner, unless interruptions or exceptional time constraints prevent it. There is no fixed maximum of two. [1]

This guide explains that tournament's rules, with a historical example from South Africa's match against Afghanistan on 11 February 2026. It is not a rulebook for every T20 competition or a guide to the latest tournament.

What changes in the next Super Over?

The batting order reverses each time. For the first Super Over, look back to the match: the side that chased bats first. For a repeat, look back only to the previous Super Over: the side that batted second now bats first. [1]

The restrictions on batters and bowlers last for different lengths of time:

The bowler restriction covers any bowler who bowled in the previous Super Over, not just the bowler who finished it. It does not, by itself, guarantee eligibility for a later one. These are the repeat-specific restrictions in Appendix F, paragraphs 22–23, not a complete player-selection guide. [1]

Balls, wickets and the five-minute intervals

Each team has an innings of up to six valid balls. Two wickets end that innings, and a successful chase ends once the winning total is reached; the chasing side does not have to face all six. Wides and no-balls do not count towards the six valid balls. [1]

The team with more runs wins the Super Over. If both totals are equal, losing fewer wickets does not break the tie. [1]

There are three separate five-minute timings to keep apart:

• Before the first Super Over: it normally starts five minutes after the match ends. Weather and the match referee's timing decision can affect the start.
• Between its two innings: the prescribed interval is five minutes.
• Before a repeat: the next Super Over normally starts five minutes after the previous one ends.

Those timings describe starts and intervals. They are not a single five-minute deadline for the whole tie-break. [1]

The 11 February 2026 example: South Africa vs Afghanistan

The ICC's report of the Ahmedabad match shows how the repeat rule worked in practice. The match finished level at 187 each. Afghanistan batted first in the first Super Over, and South Africa matched its 17 runs. South Africa then batted first in the second Super Over. [2]

Here, 23/0 means 23 runs without losing a wicket; 19/2 means 19 runs for two wickets. The deciding difference was four runs, not the difference in wickets. The earlier 17–17 tie did not set a limit of two Super Overs: it simply meant another was needed. [2] [1]

Why 20 minutes is not a total playing-time limit

The 20-minute figure concerns time lost to delays or interruptions. It does not mean that every Super Over sequence must finish within 20 minutes.

Appendix F sets the allowance at the larger of:

• 20 minutes; or
• the gap from the actual end of the match to its original scheduled finish, including the full extra-time allowance originally available.

Paragraph 5 describes the allocation from the start of the first Super Over. Paragraph 6 expressly covers delays before or during the Super Overs: the procedure is abandoned when playing time lost exceeds the allocated allowance. Time spent playing is not a countdown against that interruption allowance. [1]

A separate rule deals with unavoidable time constraints, such as a required floodlight switch-off time. The match referee may limit the number of Super Overs and must tell both captains before the first begins. That is different from treating 20 minutes as a universal cap. [1]

What if the Super Over procedure cannot finish?

Appendix F says that if the Super Over procedure is abandoned before completion, the match is declared a tie. Separately, the competition's points table awards each team one point for a tie, no result or abandonment in the first-round and Super Eights groups. [1]

That group-points rule is not the knockout rule. The semi-finals and final have separate provisions. To understand weather and reserve-day outcomes, consult those stage-specific rules; they are outside this guide's repeated-Super-Over explanation. [1]

Super Overs are excluded from the tournament's net run rate calculation. [1]

Frequently asked questions

What if the second Super Over is also tied?

Under the Men's T20 World Cup 2026 rules, another Super Over follows, subject to interruptions and any applicable referee-imposed limit. Two is not a fixed maximum. [1]

Can a batter who was out in the first Super Over bat in the third?

No. A dismissal in any earlier Super Over makes that batter ineligible to bat in every later Super Over. [1]

Can the same bowler bowl consecutive Super Overs?

No. Any bowler who bowled in the immediately previous Super Over cannot bowl in the next. This particular restriction is not a permanent ban for the rest of the sequence. [1]

Does losing fewer wickets win a tied Super Over?

No. The team with more runs wins. Equal runs still mean a tie, regardless of the wickets lost. [1]

The rule to remember

A tied Super Over normally means another, with the batting order reversed and different restrictions for dismissed batters and previous bowlers. To understand why play stops, check the interruption allowance or the referee's announced limit, rather than assuming a two-Super-Over maximum or a 20-minute playing deadline.

Sources and scope

1. ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: Playing Conditions. Appendix F covers the Super Over procedure; clauses 16.3.1.2, 16.5.1 and 17.1–17.3 cover ties, the winning result and valid balls. Group points are in 16.10.3, separate knockout provisions in 16.10.5–16.10.6, and the net run rate exclusion in 16.10.7.
2. ICC: South Africa seal Ahmedabad epic, West Indies notch second win, Jonathan Healy, 11 February 2026. The South Africa–Afghanistan section supplies the historical scores and batting order.

This is an explanation of the named 2026 edition, not a claim that the same rules apply to another competition or year.

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