Australian pacer and captain in ODIs and T20Is, Pat Cummins, became the fourth bowler from his country to take a hat-trick in T20Is and seventh overall in the T20 World Cup as he dismissed three Bangladesh batters in consecutive deliveries spread over two different overs in the Super 8 clash in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Antigua on Thursday, June 20 (local time). Cummins was adjudged the player of the match for his heroics as Australia won the match on DLS after rain cut short the game.
Cummins' wickets included Mahmudullah and Mahedi Hasan on the fifth and sixth deliveries of the 18th over of the Bangladesh innings and dangerous Towhid Hridoy on the first delivery of the 20th over. Cummins didn't know that he had indeed achieved a hat-trick before his teammate Marcus Stoinis ran up to him and conveyed him the same.
"I had no idea I was on a hat-trick. I did the previous over, saw it come up on the screen, and by the time the next over came around, had totally forgot about it. Think Stoinee ran in from the deep [and] was cheering and everyone's like, oh yeah. So, nice one," Cummins said at the post-match presentation. While it was joy for Cummins, it wasn't so much for Bangladesh batter Mahmudullah, who was dismissed as part of a hat-trick for the sixth time in international cricket, a record.
Mahmudullah has been dismissed as part of a hat-trick twice in ODIs against South Africa by Kagiso Rabada and by Shehan Madushanka against Sri Lanka, In 2020, Mahmudullah was dismissed as part of a hat-trick in Tests by Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah while this was the third instance in T20Is with previous two against Nathan Ellis in 2021 and Nuwan Thushara, the Sri Lankan pacer, earlier this year.
This was also the seventh hat-trick by any bowler against Bangladesh in T20Is, which is also a record. Bangladesh began their Super 8 campaign with a disappointing result in Group 1 and will hope to put it aside as they face a strong Indian team in the next game.
