Pat Cummins made history on Sunday as the first player to achieve consecutive hat-tricks in T20I history, accomplishing this remarkable feat against Afghanistan during the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match.
Cummins would have secured a hat-trick and four wickets in four balls across two matches if David Warner hadn’t dropped Nangeyalia Kharote’s catch.
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Afghanistan batted first, posting 148-6 in their allotted 20 overs thanks to half-centuries by openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60 off 49) and Ibrahim Zadran (51 off 48). They became the first pair to achieve three century stands in a T20I series, starting with a partnership of 118 runs for the first wicket.
Cummins led Australia’s bowling attack towards the end of the innings, claiming another hat-trick. He dismissed Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, and Gulbadin Naib to achieve this milestone. Rashid fell on the last ball of the 18th over, while Janat and Naib were out on the first two deliveries of the final over.
In addition to Cummins’ heroics, Adam Zampa contributed with two wickets, both conceding 28 runs in four overs.
Cummins had previously taken a hat-trick in Australia’s match against Bangladesh, dismissing Mahmudullah and Mahedi Hasan on the last two balls of the 18th over and completing his hat-trick on the first ball of the 20th over by dismissing Towhid Hridoy.
According to the ICC, this marked only the eighth instance of a bowler achieving a hat-trick at a Men’s T20 World Cup and the first time a player has done so on multiple occasions.
Reflecting on his achievement, Cummins acknowledged his awareness of securing the hat-trick during the match against Afghanistan, contrasting it with his unawareness during the previous match against Bangladesh.
“I remembered that one,” Cummins stated during the innings break. “It’s crazy that I have played 100-odd games for Australia and now I have got two (hat-tricks) in a row.”
