In what was undoubtedly one of the most thrilling finishes in the history of T20 cricket, the Maharaja Trophy match between the Hubli Tigers and Bengaluru Blasters witnessed an unprecedented three super overs being played to decide the winner. This was the first recorded instance of a cricket match requiring three tied breaking super overs, showing the intense quality of cricket on display between these two fierce rivals.
Led by Manish Pandey, the Hubli Tigers posted a competitive total of 165 after their 20 overs. Mayank Agarwal top scored for the Blasters with a fine 54, but they could only match and not better the Tigers score to tie the game. This set the stage for not one but multiple super overs to separate the two teams.
In a nail-biting first super over, the Blasters scored 11 runs which the Tigers matched exactly. A second super over was then needed, with Hubli setting a target of 9 runs which the Blasters narrowly missed by one run by scoring only 8. Remarkably, the tension was still not over, as for the first time in history a third deciding super over was played.
The Blasters went first and posted 13, but some defiant hitting by Kranthi Kumar helped the Tigers chase it down with balls to spare. Pandey's Tigers had etched their name in the record books by finding a way to win despite the astonishing three tied finishes. With quality players like Agarwal and Pandey on show, fans were certainly treated to an unforgettable contest that will be remembered for many more super overs than anyone imagined.
