World Cup final: With memories of 2019 still fresh, what can happen in case of a tie?

Keep calm. This was the simple message from Indian skipper Rohit Sharma to his boys ahead of their high stakes World Cup final against Australia on Sunday at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

This message recalls Kapil Dev's immortal words to his team as India took the field to defend a paltry 183 in the 1983 final against the mighty West Indies — "Jawano (soldiers), let’s put our best foot forward," according to that team's wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani.

Both 1983 and 2011 were clear wins for India, though. What if things play out differently this afternoon? Yes, India would like nothing better than to extract revenge on Australia for the 2003 final in Johannesburg, when Ricky Ponting and his team outplayed Sourav Ganguly and his team. But what if matters are not as cut and dried?

What if we see a rerun of the 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand? In other words, what happens if India vs Australia ends in a tie?

After widespread criticism following the 2019 World Cup fiasco, the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to do away with the controversial boundary count rule. Which basically means that if scores are level when both innings are completed during the match, the match will go into a Super Over.

Each team will have six balls and two wickets to score the maximum possible runs. The team with the most runs will be declared the winner. If the Super Over also ends in a tie, it will be followed by another Super Over, and then another, until a result is achieved, subject to time and weather conditions.

Under normal conditions, any subsequent Super Over shall be played five minutes after the previous one ends.

The team batting second in the previous Super Over will bat first in the subsequent Super Over. Likewise, a fielding side will bowl any subsequent over from the opposite end to which it bowled the previous over.

The balls chosen by each team in a previous Super Over may be used again by the same team in a subsequent over of any.

Any batter dismissed in a previous Super Over is ineligible to bat in a subsequent Super Over. Likewise, any bowler who bowled in the previous Super Over is not permitted to bowl in a subsequent Super Over.

If, despite all efforts, a Super Over cannot be completed owing to weather or any other eventuality on the playing day and the reserve day, then the two teams — India and Australia in this case — will be declared joint winners. The league standings or net run rate in the previous matches will play no part in deciding the winner.

In case of unavoidable time constraints (a requirement to switch off floodlights at a certain time, for example) which may not allow multiple Super Overs, the ICC match referee may limit the number of overs and advise both captains accordingly before the start of the first over.

If following a tie, weather conditions prevent the Super Over from being completed, or if the final is abandoned or there is no result even at the end of the reserve day, both teams shall be declared joint winners.