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Kagiso Rabada starred for South Africa as he recorded a rare hat-trick in the T20 World Cup, but which other cricketers have taken one in the shortest form of the game?
South Africa set England a daunting 190 to win their final group stage game at the T20 Word Cup on Saturday, 6 November. In England’s response, they were 176-5 at the start of the final over, requiring 15 to win as Rabada was thrown the ball by skipper Temba Bavuma.
Rabada then proceeded to take a hat-trick, dismissing Chris Woakes, Eoin Morgan and Chris Jordan in successive balls. England could only manage to get 179-8, meaning South Africa won by ten runs, although they were eliminated as England progressed to the semi-finals.
A T20 World Cup hat-trick is rare, but which other cricketers have achieved the feat?
Who took the first T20 World Cup hat-trick?
Legendary Australian fast bowler Brett Lee was the first to achieve a T20 World Cup hat-trick. Lee took three in three against Bangladesh in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, held in South Africa.
He had Shakib al Hasan caught behind, bowled Mashrafe Mortaza and trapped Alok Kapali in front for LBW. It was the first hat-trick in an international T20 match.
Lee’s efforts helped Australia to win the match, although he couldn’t inspire the Baggy Greens to the title. Australia lost to eventual runners-up India in the semi-final.
Has anyone else ever done it?
After Lee’s efforts in the 2007 T20 World Cup, there wouldn’t be another hat-trick for almost 14 years. The wait was ended in the on-going 2021 tournament, by Irishman Curtis Campher.
Campher eclipsed Lee and took four wickets in four balls in Ireland’s game against the Netherlands. It was the first time in T20 internationals a bowler had taken four wickets in a row.
Although Campher helped Ireland to win, they bowed out in the group stages. Interestingly, after a wait of 14 years, there have been three hat-tricks in the 2021 T20 World Cup alone.
The odd T20 World Cup hat-trick out
As well as Campher and Rabada, Wanindu Hasaranga joined the exclusive club for Sri Lanka against South Africa in the group stages.
The Sri Lankan leg-spinner became the first bowler from his country to achieve the feat in the T20 World Cup.
Unlike Lee, Campher and Rabada, however, Hasaranga is the only bowler to take a T20 World Cup hat-trick but end up on the losing side.
Sri Lanka were beaten by four wickets as South Africa reached their target of 143 with one ball to go.
Hasranga took 3/20 from his four overs, with Aiden Markram, Bavuma, and Dwaine Pretorius his victims.
Other international T20 hat-tricks
In total, including Rabada vs England, there have been 25 hat-tricks in international T20 cricket.
The only male player to do it twice is Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga. Unlike Hasaranga, Malinga never achieved the feat in the T20 World Cup.
He did so against Bangladesh in 2017 and New Zealand in 2019, losing the first and winning the second.
