On Monday, even the giants of world cricket had to turn their attention to the Associates as Nepal and the Netherlands produced a match so extraordinary that it demanded global attention. In an unprecedented drama unfolding in Glasgow, Scotland, the match required not one, not two, but three Super Overs—a first in international cricket.

There had been only one instance of a double Super Over to date. In the third T20I between India and Afghanistan in Bengaluru on January 17, 2024, the game ended in a tie after both sides posted 212 runs. While Afghanistan scored 16 runs in the first Super Over, India racked up the same total. The game went to a second Super Over, which India won after they posted a 12-run target and bundled out Afghanistan for just 1 run.

What unfolded between the Rhinos and the Dutch on Monday went a step further, and the cricketing world noticed and was quick to react.

Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural Indian Premier League champions in 2008, were among the first to take note. They shared a humorous clip from Loose Talk, a popular Pakistani show known for its comedy sketches, featuring a Bangladeshi cricketer stating that the team’s goal was to “lose”. Alongside the clip, RR posted the match’s scorecards and Super Over details with the caption: “Bhai ye game toh shuru hote.. khatam hi nahi hua [Brother, this game started but is not ending].”

Similarly, five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings posted a photo of the score sheets from the three Super Overs, accompanied by a meme of Vince McMahon, WWE’s co-founder, progressively reacting with bigger ‘wows’ after each Super Over.

Likewise, the ICC captioned the photo showcasing the Dutch side winning with, “A scorecard that needs to be seen to be believed as The Netherlands and Nepal need THREE Super Overs to separate them.”

The Major League Cricket tournament in the USA also featured the scorecard of the match and Super Overs during the live broadcast.

In a video posted by commentator Andrew Leonard, where he is watching the Super Over drama during his breakfast, former Australian international Adam Gilchrist shows up and is shocked to see the game was in a second Super Over. And when Nepal took the game to the third Super Over with a six off the final ball, Gilchrist was awestruck.

Former New Zealand player and commentator, Danny Morrison, who later joined the view with Gilchrist and Leonard, was also surprised to see the close encounter at its best.

A memorable 100th T20I

Nepal played their first T20I during their debut in the 2014 T20 World Cup. Monday’s match against the Netherlands was their 100th T20I. The loud cheers of ‘Nepal’ by hundreds of Nepali fans had turned Glasgow into something like a home ground. A win in a historic match would have been more appropriate for the occasion, but it was historic nevertheless.

It was the 14th time that Nepal were facing the Dutch side. Since 2015, Nepal have lost eight times to the Netherlands.

Batting first, the Netherlands put up 152 for 7 with Vikramjit Singh’s 30 off 29, Teja Nidamanuru’s 35 off 37, and a late cameo from Saqib Zulfiqar (25 not out off 12).

In turn, Nepal’s chase started shakily with Lokesh Bam (0 off 1) and Anil Sah (1 off 3) falling early. Skipper Rohit Paudel steadied the innings, but fell short of his 50 by two runs. Kushal Bhurtel chipped in with 34 off 23.

The two T20I debutants for Nepal—Kiran Thagunna and Rupesh Singh—added 15 off 25 and 19 off 14, respectively.

It was Nandan Yadav who hit the final ball of the second inning for a four and took the match to a Super Over.

In the first Super Over, Nepal posted 19 with Bhurtel hammering 18 off 5 balls. However, the Netherlands matched it with ease.

The second Super Over saw the Netherlands bat first and score 17. Nepal, under pressure, held their nerve as Paudel (7) and Airee (10) levelled the target yet again.

The match entered an unprecedented third Super Over.

This time, Lion-Cachet bowled a remarkable over for the Dutch as Nepal failed to score a single run after losing two wickets. The Dutch side then won with a six in the first ball of their batting in the third Super Over.

First T20I with Scotland

Nepal faced 25 nations in the past 11 years to take their T20I matches to 100. Scotland were not among them.

Ever since Nepal started their T20I journey in 2014, they have played against the likes of India, Bangladesh, South Africa and Ireland as well. However, they are yet to face the Scots.

Nepal have faced Scotland 10 times between 2022 and 2025 in ODIs but their fixture on June 17 would be the first time they will play each other in the shortest format.