Cricket is a game that combines skill, strategy, and luck. One of the most exciting moments in cricket is when a bowler takes three wickets in three consecutive deliveries. This is called a hat-trick, and it is a rare and remarkable feat. It is even more difficult to achieve a hat-trick in one-day international (ODI) cricket, where the batsmen are more aggressive and the bowlers have limited overs to bowl.
The Cricket World Cup is the biggest event of ODI cricket. It has seen 11 hat-tricks in its 12 editions so far. Here are the details of each hat-trick:
1)The first World Cup hat-trick was taken by India’s Chetan Sharma in 1987. He bowled out three New Zealand batsmen – Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith, and Ewen Chatfield – in Nagpur. He became the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in any format of international cricket.
2)The second World Cup hat-trick was taken by Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq in 1999. He dismissed three Zimbabwe batsmen – Henry Olonga, Adam Huckle, and Pommie Mbangwa – in The Oval. He was the first spinner to take a World Cup hat-trick.
3)The third World Cup hat-trick was taken by Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas in 2003. He removed three Bangladesh batsmen – Hannan Sarkar, Mohammad Ashraful, and Ehsanul Haque – in Pietermaritzburg. He achieved the hat-trick in the first over of the match, which is the only such instance in ODI history.
– The fourth World Cup hat-trick was taken by Australia’s Brett Lee in 2003. He took the wickets of three Kenya batsmen – Kennedy Otieno, Brijal Patel, and David Obuya – in Durban. He was the first Australian bowler to take a World Cup hat-trick.
4)The fifth World Cup hat-trick was taken by Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga in 2007. He scalped four South Africa batsmen – Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, and Makhaya Ntini – in Guyana. He became the first bowler to take four wickets in four balls in ODI history.
– The sixth World Cup hat-trick was taken by West Indies’ Kemar Roach in 2011. He bowled out three Netherlands batsmen – Pieter Seelaar, Bernard Loots, and Berend Westdijk – in Delhi. He was the youngest bowler to take a World Cup hat-trick at the age of 22.
5)The seventh World Cup hat-trick was taken by Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga in 2011. He claimed the wickets of three Kenya batsmen – Tanmay Mishra, Peter Ongondo, and Shem Ngoche – in Colombo. He became the only bowler to take two World Cup hat-tricks.
– The eighth World Cup hat-trick was taken by South Africa’s JP Duminy in 2015. He dismissed three Sri Lanka batsmen – Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, and Tharindu Kaushal – in Sydney. He was the second spinner to take a World Cup hat-trick.
6)The ninth World Cup hat-trick was taken by England’s Steven Finn in 2015. He took the wickets of three Australia batsmen – Brad Haddin, Glenn Maxwell, and Mitchell Johnson – in Melbourne. He was the first England bowler to take a World Cup hat-trick.
– The tenth World Cup hat-trick was taken by India’s Mohammed Shami in 2019. He removed three Afghanistan batsman – Mohammad Nabi, Aftab Alam, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman – in Southampton. He was the second Indian bowler to take a World Cup hat-trick.
7)The eleventh World Cup hat-trick was taken by New Zealand’s Trent Boult in 2019. He dismissed three Australian batsmen – Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc, and Jason Behrendorff – in London. He was the first New Zealand bowler to take a World Cup hat-trick.
Most of the World Cup hat-tricks have been taken by fast bowlers. Only two spinners have taken World Cup hat-tricks. Sri Lanka and India are the only countries to have two different bowlers who have taken World Cup hat-tricks. The most common mode of dismissal in World Cup hat-tricks is bowled, followed by caught and lbw.
A World Cup hat-trick is a rare and remarkable feat that showcases the skill and luck of the bowler. It is also a moment of joy and pride for the team and the fans. As the next edition of the Cricket World Cup approaches in 2023, we can hope to witness more such thrilling moments in the game.
