Getting a hat-trick is always a sensational feeling for a bowler and the spectators. It is when they get three or more wickets in a row, effectively stunning the opposition team and bringing an extra layer of entertainment and adrenaline into the game. Taking a hat-trick is a tremendously difficult task and a true mark of a bowler’s quality. There have been 46 hat-tricks in Test cricket, 49 in ODI, and 27 hat-tricks in Twenty-20 International. Here are the top 10 bowlers with the most hat-tricks in International cricket.
1. Lasith Malinga (5 Hat-Tricks)
Lasith Malinga is the King when it comes to Hat-Tricks in international cricket. He has an unbelievable five Hat-Tricks in international cricket. He took his first ODI hat-trick against South Africa on March 28, 2007, in the World cup. Lasith’s second hat-trick came against Kenya in Colombo on March 1, 2011. On 22 August 2011, Malinga picked his third hat-trick against Australia in Colombo and achieved two Hat-Tricks in the same year. Malinga scored two more Hat-Tricks in T20Is to bring his total to five. The first one came against Bangladesh on April 6, 2017. Malinga’s most recent and fifth hat-trick came against New Zealand in the T20I series on 6 September 2019. He is the only bowler to have taken a hat-trick five times in his cricketing career and holds the record for the most Hat-Tricks in international cricket.
2. Wasim Akram (4 Hat-Tricks)
The Pakistan legend has two Hat-Tricks involving two each in Test and ODIs. He took his first ODI hat-trick against West Indies at Sharjah in October 1989. His second ODI hat-trick came against Australia in 1990. Akram’s other hat-trick came against Sri Lanka in Lahore in March 1999 during the Asian test Championship. Akram’s fourth and final hat-trick also came against Sri Lanka during the second innings of the Asian Test Championship to help Pakistan to win the match.
3. Kuldeep Yadav (2 Hat-Tricks)
Kuldeep Yadav took his first hat-trick against Australia in Kolkata in September 2017. Yadav dismissed Mathew Wade, Ashton Agar, and Pat Cummins leading India to a successive win by 50 runs. Yadav claimed his second hat-trick during an ODI match against West Indies in Vishakhapatnam in December 2019. Yadav accounted for the wickets of Jason Holder, Alxarri Joseph, and Shai Hope as India won the match by 107 runs. Yadav became the first bowler for India to take two Hat-Tricks in international cricket.
4. Thisara Perera (2 Hat-Tricks)
Thisara Perera is a Sri Lankan all-rounder and took his first hat-trick during the ODI against Pakistan at Colombo in June 2012. He dismissed Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, and Sarfaraz Ahmed to help bowl out Pakistan for 199 all-out in a run chase of 244 runs. Perera claimed his second hat-trick against India during a T20 match in Ranchi in February 2016. It came towards the end of the 19th over where Perera had Hardik Pandya, Suresh Raina, and Yuvraj Singh all caught, though in a lost cause.
5. Trent Boult (2 Hat-Tricks)
Trent Boult is a New Zealand Left-arm medium-fast bowler. He took his first hat-trick against Pakistan in the ODI series in November 2018. Boult took the wickets of Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and Mohammad Hafeez in successive deliveries to help New Zealand win the match. Boult’s second hat-trick came against Australia at Lord’s stadium in June 2019 in the ICC World Cup. He dismissed Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc, and Jason Behrendorff but Australia won the group match by 86 runs. Trent Boult became the first bowler of New Zealand to take a hat-trick in the World Cup.
6. Brett Lee (2 Hat-Tricks)
Brett Lee is one of the fastest bowlers ever played. He has two hat tricks to his name achieved in the World cup in different formats. Lee claimed his first hat-trick against Kenya on March 15, 2003, at Durban. He bowled two players and had caught one by Ricky Ponting in the last three balls of the over. His second hat-trick came against Bangladesh in the World T20 match at Cape Town on September 16, 2007. Bret Lee chased down Bangladesh with his Hat-trick and won the game by nine wickets.
7. Chaminda Vaas (2 Hat-Tricks)
Chaminda Vaas is one of the greatest bowlers Sri Lanka has produced until now. He claimed his first hat-trick in the ODI against Zimbabwe in December 2001 and set a new record for the best bowling figures in ODI (8-19). Vaas picked his second hat-trick against Bangladesh during the World cup in 2003. He took four wickets in an over as Bangladesh lost by ten wickets.
8. Saqlain Mushtaq (2 Hat-Tricks)
Saqlain Mushtaq has two hat tricks to his name. The first one came in Peshawar against Zimbabwe in November 1996. Saqlain took four wickets in five balls and dismissed Zimbabwe. His second hat-trick also came against Zimbabwe in the 1999 World cup. Saqlain bowled his first over and took a hat-trick on the first three balls. All the three players got lbw as they collapsed to 123 all-out and lost in the World cup.
9. Stuart Broad (2 Hat-Tricks)
The England pacer claimed his first hat-trick in the Nottingham test against India in 2011. He had Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh caught, and then bowled Praveen Kumar out. England beat India by (319) runs. Stuart’s second hat-trick came in the Test match against Sri Lanka in Leeds, where he had Kumar Sangkarra caught by Ian Bell, Dinesh Chandimal caught by Alastair Cook, and Shaminda caught behind. But, the hat-trick was pointless as Sri Lanka won the test by 100 runs.
10. Jimmy Mathews (2 Hat-Tricks)
Jimmy Mathews was a leg-break Australian bowler and the best all-rounder in the old era. In 1912, at the opening test match played against South Africa, he took two Hat-Tricks in both innings. Mathews became the only player in the world of cricket who had taken two Hat-Tricks in the Test match.
