IPL 2022: Ranking teams based on their super over combination

A Super Over takes place to decide the winner if the fixture ends in a tie. The team scoring the most runs in the super over secures a victory in the match. In 2008, the International Cricket Council decided to replace the Bowl-out with the super over.

In the Indian Premier League history, a super over has taken place on 14 occasions. The 2020 season saw the record number of four super overs. Interestingly, Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings ended up playing two super overs in the same game in 2020. In this edition of the tournament, all the teams have quality batting as well as bowling options, which will be crucial to securing a victory in the one-over affair.

Here are the Ranking teams based on their super over combination in IPL 2022:

10. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

The Sunrisers Hyderabad is ranked 10th in this list due to the comparatively weaker batting options, with two out of three players not known for their hitting abilities. However, SRH have quality bowling options with the experience to excel in crucial situations.

Batters- Pooran, Williamson, Aiden Markram
Bowler- Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The team is likely to open with Nicholas Pooran and Kane Williamson on an occasion of super over, with the former’s proven track record of being destructive and the latter having the craft and skill to maneuver the ball. Protea batter Aiden Markram could be the third batsman if a wicket falls.

The bowling option to contain runs and take wickets in the super over for Sunrisers Hyderabad will be the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Over the years, he has put in hard yards to perfect his skill to bowl yorkers in a consistent manner and has proved himself.

9. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

The defending champions have lost both of their league matches in the first week of IPL 2022, but they have the capability and firepower to do well in the upcoming games. They are at ninth rank in this aspect more so due to their age and the overall struggle of the team in the ongoing season.

Batters- Moeen Ali, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja
Bowler- Dwayne Bravo

In the batting department, the team can opt for a left-right combination in form of Moeen Ali and wicketkeeper MS Dhoni. Both the players have used their intelligence well in the past and can guide the team to a victory. The third batsman will be Ravindra Jadeja, who has displayed impressive batting performances in the last few editions.

The bowler for the CSK team will be the leading wicket-taker in Indian Premier League history, Dwayne Bravo. With the variations in pace and bounce, he can be a steady customer to keep the opposition batters in control.

8. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

The newest team in the tournament has built up a fine squad and packed powerful players in the batting department. This is the reason for them having an upper hand over the CSK team in this ranking.

Batters- KL Rahul, Quinton De Kock, Deepak Hooda
Bowler- Avesh Khan

For the LSG team, the experienced campaigners KL Rahul and Quinton De Kock can open in the super over as well. With KL having fine experience in the super overs, he is better suited to tackle the pressure and face the first ball while Deepak Hooda has made his way into the top three due to his recent exploits for the team in the first two matches.

The second-highest wicket-taker of the previous edition, Avesh Khan will be the potent bowling option in the super over. Since the last edition, he has done well to deliver a perfect yorker and use variations well to contain the opposition.

7. Delhi Capitals (DC)

One of the finest sides in the last few editions, Delhi Capitals have a strong team in this season too. In particular, the batting unit has all the firepower to chase down any total on the board. The bowlers have not been great with their execution in the past, but possess the capability to do well in crunch moments.

Batters- Rishabh Pant, Rovman Powell, David Warner
Bowler-Mustafizur Rahman

The team has the presence of captain Rishabh Pant and Rovman Powell as the proven hitters in the T20 format, which put them in the seventh position in this ranking. Experienced David Warner will be coming to bat if any of Powell or Pant get dismissed.

In the bowling unit, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman can be a plausible option due to his innate ability to keep his calm during pressure situations and use his backhand slower balls to win the match for the team.

6. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

The two-time champions KKR have done well in the first week of the 2022 edition and is at second position with two wins in three league matches. They have retained their key overseas performers of the last few editions and bought quality Indian players as well.

Batters- Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana
Bowler-Sunil Narine

The muscle man Russell can open with the captain Shreyas Iyer in the super over for the KKR team. The Windies all-rounder has been terrific with his hitting abilities and Iyer is a confident batter with shots all around the park in his kitty. The next batter can be Nitish Rana, who can go bonkers from the first ball of his innings and has done well to contribute to the team.

The bowler in a super over will be the tried and tested Sunil Narine, who is a legendary figure in the IPL. He is the only bowler in the history of the game to bowl a maiden in a super over.

5. Gujarat Titans (GT)

One of the best sides in this tournament so far, Gujarat Titans have won their first two matches and are at the third position in the points table. The team has equally good batting as well as a bowling department and ranks fifth in this ranking due to the quality players they possess.

Batters-Hardik Pandya, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia
Bowler- Rashid Khan

The all-rounder and captain of GT, Hardik Pandya, and Protea middle-order batter David Miller will be the opening batters facing the super over. Both the players have a rich experience in the T20 format and especially the IPL as well. Then, Tewatia can be another option due to the current form and free flow of his bat.

The ICC Men’s T20I Player of the last decade, Rashid Khan will handle the task of winning the match for the team in the super over. He did well in the last edition against the likes of Rishabh Pant and Shikhar Dhawan in the super over.

4. Punjab Kings (PBKS)

The Punjab Kings have always been a star-studded side, but have lacked the consistency to do well and will hope to improve their performances this season. In the first week of IPL 2022, they won and lost a game each and the players have given a hint about their abilities as well.

Batters- Odean Smith, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan
Bowler – Kagiso Rabada

With the bat, the team is likely to trust the ball-striking capabilities of Windies all-rounder Odean Smith, who has done well in the T20 format for the last few years. Sri Lanka’s top order Bhanuka Rajapaksa has been excellent in the first few appearances and can open alongside Smith. The third batter for PBKS will be Shahrukh Khan, who has gained prominence due to his terrific performances for the Tamil Nadu state team.

The Protea pace bowler Kagiso Rabada is the probable candidate in the PBKS line-up to bowl an all-important super over. With pace, perfect yorkers, and nagging line and lengths, he serves the purpose of containing runs and securing wickets.

3. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

The Royal Challengers Bangalore did well in the mega auction to pick a well-balanced team, with all their bases covered. The team has the presence of experienced T20 players, who are known to handle the pressure well.

Batters- Faf Du Plessis, Dinesh Karthik, Glenn Maxwell
Bowler- Harshal Patel 

The captain of RCB Faf du Plessis can open for the side in a one-over eliminator as well, while the player with proven finishing abilities, Dinesh Karthik will be his partner. The Australian batter Glenn Maxwell pips Virat Kohli to be the third batsman due to his better boundary-hitting abilities.

The leading wicket-taker in the 2021 edition of the tournament, Harshal Patel will be handling the super over of the RCB team. With the dipping slower balls and yorkers around the fifth stump line being his forte, Harshal can prove to be successful in this aspect as well.

2. Mumbai Indians (MI)

The five-time IPL champions, Mumbai Indians have been terrific with their performances in both departments. The team has trusted their core players for this edition as well, who are also the biggest hopes for the team in an occasion like super over.

Batters- Ishan Kishan, Keiron Pollard, Rohit Sharma
Bowler- Jasprit Bumrah

The top two batters will have the combination of Ishan Kishan and Kieron Pollard, with the capability to hit every ball over the boundary. The flicks and deft touch of Rohit Sharma will come in handy for the MI team in the super over.

The super over specialist Jasprit Bumrah will be the best pick for any team due to his consistent yorkers to cramp the batters. In two of the last three instances, Bumrah has delivered in the super over and secured a victory for the Mumbai Indians team.

1. Rajasthan Royals (RR)

The Rajasthan Royals put together their strongest team for the 2022 edition of the tournament. The team has explosive T20 batters and experienced bowling options who can help them to clinch the super over fixtures and rank 1st based on their super over combination.

Batters-Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Shimron Hetmyer
Bowler- Trent Boult

The team has the presence of  Englishman Jos Buttler, who has hit two centuries in the IPL and is a terrific striker of the cricket ball. The captain Sanju Samson has been consistent with his performances and kept the runs flowing at a sublime rate, and will be the second opener. In the third position, Windies batter Shimron Hetmyer finds the place due to his effortless hitting and form in the IPL.

The bowling unit will be handled by Kiwi left-arm fast bowler Trent Boult, who has the ability to churn out yorkers in crucial situations and can be trusted due to fine track record in the T20 format.