Pat Cummins, an Australian fast bowler, stole the show in the Super Eight match of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Antigua, smashing a hat-trick against Bangladesh.
It was the seventh hat-trick in the history of the World Cup overall and the first of this one.
In the Men’s T20 World Cup, Cummins became the second Australian to accomplish this feat, following Brett Lee. The other bowlers to complete hat-tricks at the event were Josh Little, Karthik Meiyappan, Kagiso Rabada, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Curtis Campher (who took four in four balls).
But Cummins later acknowledged that he had overlooked the opportunity for a hat-trick. “I didn’t know I was on a hat-trick,” he stated. “I completed the previous over, watched it appear on the screen, and had completely forgotten about it by the time the next over rolled around. Imagine that everyone is like, “Oh yeah,” as Stoinis came in from the deep and started cheering. Thus, good one.”
Following a wicket-free opening over, Cummins struck for his hat-trick in overs 18 and 20. He rattled Mahmudullah’s stumps on the fifth ball of the eighteenth over, delivering a delivery that was short of length and causing an inside edge. Mahedi Hasan attempted an upper-cut on the following delivery, a back-of-a-length ball from outside the off stump, but he was caught by Adam Zampa at deep third.
Towhid Hridoy, the set hitter, was hit by a slower delivery from Cummins, who came in to bowl the last over of the innings. Hridoy scooped the ball to short fine leg. It was the sixth time in international cricket history that Mahmudullah fell prey to a hat-trick, with Hridoy leaving the game after just 28 balls.
Zampa’s 2 for 24 and Cummins’ 3 wickets helped Australia limit Bangladesh to 140 for 8. Before rain stopped play, Australia was leading their pursuit, driven by a half-century from David Warner. Australia was eventually declared the winners by 28 runs using the DLS technique.