Hat Tricks in T20 Cricket
Taking a hat-trick for a bowler in cricket is no less than a mountain to climb. It’s a dream for every bowler to pick three wickets in three consecutive deliveries. And there are not many bowlers who have been able to pull off the task in the history of the game. Even so, the number is too less in T-20 cricket as compare to fifty-over cricket and test cricket.
Given the fact that in a T-20 game, you get only 24 balls to do the damage and grab the headlines, picking 3 wickets in three wickets is quite a feat. On that note, let’s talk about the top three bowlers who have claimed the most number of hat-tricks in T-20 internationals:
#1. Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga tops the chart with the most number of hat-tricks in the T20 format. Malinga is, in fact, the only bowler to have picked a hat-trick more than once in T20 cricket internationals. Lasith Malinga has twice picked a hat-trick in his T20 international career.
Sri Lankan fast bowler took his first hat-trick in the international career against Bangladesh in 2016.
In what was the second T20 of the series, batting first Bangladesh raced to a wonderful start and looked to end the innings before Malinga came and put the brakes on the run-flow with a superb hat-trick. He took three prized wickets of Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Sri Lanka though had lost that game by 45 runs.
Malinga took his second hat-trick against New Zealand in what was the third and final T20 between both sides. This time, his hat-trick did come in a winning cause.
Batting first Sri Lanka posted 125 in their 20 overs. For New Zealand, it looked like a walk in the park before Malinga’s produced one of the best T20 spells of all-time. He first accounted for the wicket of Tim Seifert, followed by three more in Rutherford, Colin de Grandhomme and Taylor in his next three deliveries only to put New Zealand in all sorts of trouble. New Zealand eventually folded for just 88 runs.
#2. Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar has to be at the second spot for what he did against Bangladesh in the third and final T20 international of the series in 2019. Chahar recorded the best T-20 figures, picking 6 for 7 runs in 3.2 overs.
He laid the foundation of the hat-trick on the last ball of the 18th over when he claimed the wicket of Shaiful Islam and thereby picked his fourth wicket of the match.
Come the 20th over, the Indian bowler picked two wickets of Mustafizur and Aminul Islam in two consecutive deliveries and took his tally of wickets to 6. His spectacular bowling figures helped India win the third T20 and take the series 3-0.
#3.Tim Southee
Like many others in the list of T20 hat-tricks, Tim Southee might have picked only 1 hat-trick in his T20 international career, but the New Zealand fast bowler should sit at the third spot, simply because of the spell he produced against a powerful Pakistan batting line up.
Batting first, Pakistan were off to a fine start, collecting 37 runs in 3.5 overs. Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez had given Pakistan the hope of putting on a great total on the board before Tim Southee ruined their plans. Mills broke the opening partnership after he sent Afridi packing for 20. It was Tim Southee’s show after that, who wreaked havoc at Auckland.
Southee first claimed the wicket of Shehzad on 14 before taking the prized wickets of Younis Khan and Mohammad Hafeez to put Pakistan reeling at 62-4 in 7.3 overs.
Southee compounded Pakistan’s problem after picking 2 more wickets in his next two deliveries, thus completing a hat-trick.
He ended his figures with 18 for 5 in his four overs.