GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
Does an ICC men’s ODI or T20I Super Over repeat after a tie, and when can play end?
Under the October 2026 standard ICC men’s ODI and T20I procedures, a tied Super Over is followed by another until there is a winner, unless unavoidable time constraints require the Match Referee to set a limit and notify both captains before the first Super Over. If a Super Over is abandoned before completion, the match is declared a tie. The competition’s own conditions determine any further event-specific treatment, including points.
For Cricket viewers trying to understand whether a tied men’s ODI or T20I continues beyond its first Super Over · Updated
A tied first Super Over does not end the standard procedure
When the main match is tied under the standard conditions, a Super Over is played. If that Super Over is tied, the ordinary procedure is to play subsequent Super Overs until one team wins. A tie in the first one therefore does not automatically end the match. Normally, the next Super Over starts five minutes after the previous one. The team that batted second previously bats first next; each team reuses its previously selected ball and bowls from the opposite end. A batter dismissed in any earlier Super Over cannot bat in any later one, while a bowler who bowled the immediately previous Super Over cannot bowl the next one. In all other respects, the initial Super Over procedure carries forward.
The rule appears in the standard men’s ODI and T20I procedures, but a particular competition may have its own playing conditions. Do not add a boundary-count tiebreak, assume a specific points outcome or transfer this explanation to a different event without checking its rules.
A limit is tied to unavoidable time constraints and advance notice
If unavoidable time constraints prevent multiple Super Overs from being completed, the Match Referee may limit the number that can be played. The Referee must advise both captains of that limit before the first Super Over begins. This is a narrow exception to the usual repeat-until-a-winner path, not an automatic cap after one tied Super Over.
If a Super Over or a later one is abandoned before completion, the match is declared a tie under the standard procedure. That statement does not allocate competition points; check the applicable competition document for its points table or other event rules.
Check the edition and competition conditions
This guide summarizes only the standard ICC men’s ODI and T20I documents effective from October 2026, not MCC Laws, Tests, women’s, youth, domestic or franchise cricket. The ICC says the revised conditions apply to international series starting on or after 1 October 2026, while ongoing series remain under prior regulations. A tournament can have event-specific conditions, so this page does not decide what rule or points allocation applies to a named competition.
Two fictional tie scenarios
In a made-up match with no named teams or event, the main match is tied and the first Super Over is tied too. Under the ordinary standard procedure, another Super Over follows. In a separate hypothetical, unavoidable ground-time constraints mean the Match Referee tells both captains before the first Super Over that only a limited number can be played. If the final permitted Super Over is abandoned before it is completed, the match is declared a tie. Neither example says how a real competition awards points.
Related questions
Does a tied first Super Over automatically finish the match?
No. Under the standard men’s ODI and T20I procedure, a tied Super Over is followed by another until a winner, subject to the narrow exception for unavoidable time constraints.
Who tells the captains if the number of Super Overs is limited?
The Match Referee may set the limit where unavoidable time constraints prevent multiple Super Overs and must advise both captains before the first Super Over.
Sources and further reading
- ICC Men’s One-Day International Playing Conditions, effective October 2026, clause 16.3.1.1 and Appendix F paragraphs 17–26
- ICC Men’s Twenty20 International Playing Conditions, effective October 2026, clause 16.3.1.1 and Appendix F paragraphs 17–26
- ICC media release on the October 2026 playing-condition changes, 1 October 2026