Cricket has seen many amazing moments, and one of the most exciting is the hat-trick. This happens when a bowler takes out three players in a row. It's a rare and incredible achievement that shows the bowler's skill. In this article, we explore the top 10 iconic hat-tricks in cricket history. These hat-tricks are like treasures in cricket's story, reminding us how special cricket is, with individual brilliance making its history so rich and fascinating.
1. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 1999
During the 1999 World Cup, Wasim Akram showed his amazing bowling skills with a hat-trick against England. He bowled Darren Gough, Andrew Caddick, and Allan Mullally in three deliveries. In a Test match against Sri Lanka in 1999, Akram achieved another hat-trick, dismissing Avishka Gunawardene, Chaminda Vaas, and Mahela Jayawardene. He led Pakistan to win the Asian Test Championship title with his great performance. Akram is known for his swing bowling and has the most wickets in Test cricket for Pakistan.
2. Brett Lee (Australia) – 2003
Brett Lee, a former Australian bowler, got three players out in a row, not just once but twice, in the 50-over World Cup and the T20 World Cup. He was the first Australian to get a hat-trick in the World Cup in 2003 against Kenya. Then, in 2007, he became the first bowler to get a hat-trick in T20 international matches, playing against Bangladesh.
3. Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) – 2007
Lasith Malinga from Sri Lanka got four players out in a row with his bowling in the World Cup match against South Africa in 2007. This was the first time anyone had done this in One Day International cricket. Malinga's amazing performance almost helped his team win, but South Africa still managed to win the match by a little bit. Malinga's achievement was really special and he was even chosen for the 'Team of the Tournament' because of his great performance in the World Cup.
4. Peter Siddle (Australia) - 2010
On November 25, 2010, Peter Siddle, an Australian fast bowler, made a remarkable hat-trick during the Ashes series. It was his birthday and he got a hat-trick. He took three wickets in three balls. Even though he admitted that the last wicket was a bit of a lucky hit on the batsman's boot, it was still an amazing achievement. In that match, Siddle took a total of six wickets for his team.
5. Abdur Razzak (Bangladesh) - 2010
When Bangladesh was playing against Zimbabwe, Abdur Razzak made an amazing hat-trick. Razzak was very good at getting wickets in that match and ended up with five wickets in total. This helped Bangladesh win the match easily. Razzak became only the second Bangladeshi to achieve a hat-trick in One Day Internationals. He was given the Player of the Match award for his great performance.
6. Kemar Roach (West Indies) - 2019
In 2019, during a cricket match between West Indies and India, Kemar Roach almost got a hat-trick by getting two players out in a row – KL Rahul and Virat Kohli. He was very close to getting a third wicket but the ball went to the boundary after hitting the batsman's edge. Roach felt happy about getting these important wickets. Roach has had matches without wickets before, like in 2015 and 2017.
7. Mohammed Shami (India) – 2019
Mohammed Shami has become a strong bowler for India. In 2019, he achieved a hat-trick against Afghanistan. He did this in the World Cup, just like the Indian bowler Chetan Sharma did before. Shami's hat-trick helped India win the match by 11 runs. Even though Afghanistan had a chance to win, Shami bowled really well in the last over and took three wickets. He bowled in a tricky way, and Afghanistan couldn't get enough runs to win. Shami's hat-trick was a special moment for him and for India's cricket fans.
8. Trent Boult (New Zealand) - 2019
Trent Boult achieved an extraordinary hat-trick by taking down three Australian players in a row. This impressive feat happened during the 2019 World Cup. Boult's superb bowling prevented Australia from scoring many runs. His hat-trick was the second in his career, and he became the first New Zealand cricketer to achieve it in a World Cup game. Australia had strong players, like Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey, who performed remarkably and helped their team achieve a good score.
9. Kuldeep Yadav (India) - 2019
During the second One Day International (ODI) in Visakhapatnam on December 18, 2019, Kuldeep Yadav got three West Indies players out in a row. Kuldeep Yadav became the first Indian to achieve two ODI hat-tricks. He dismissed Shai Hope, Jason Holder, and Alzarri Joseph. Kuldeep's amazing performance put him in a group of great bowlers like Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, and others who have also taken two hat-tricks in ODIs. It was a historic moment for Kuldeep and India's cricket.
10. Jasprit Bumrah (India) - 2020
Jasprit Bumrah, an Indian fast bowler, got three West Indies players out in a row. During a Test match in Jamaica on August 31, 2019, Bumrah caught Darren Bravo and trapped Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase, making him the third Indian to achieve a Test hat-trick. He also got six wickets in that match. Bumrah remembered this special day in a tweet and said it holds a special place in his heart. India performed well in the match, making lots of runs and setting a high target for West Indies.
