Scoring a century is one of the biggest achievements for a batsman in cricket, similarly taking 5 wickets for a bowler is an achievement but taking a hat-trick is always a dream for any bowler. A hat-trick is achieved by the same bowler dismissing three batsmen in three consecutive balls. To achieve this feat in a grand tournament like the ODI World Cup is icing on the cake.
Getting a hat-trick is the most difficult task for a bowler as he has to hit all the 3 balls on the target. Talking about hat-trick taken in ODI World Cup, there are only 11 occasions when a bowler could achieve this feat.
What is a Hat trick?
Hat-trick in cricket means taking wickets in three consecutive balls. The history of cricket is more than a hundred years old, but there are very few bowlers in world cricket who have got hat-tricks. A hat-trick becomes even more special when it is one of the hat-tricks of the Cricket World Cup.
To mark the occasion, we’re revisiting every one of those famous World Cup hat-tricks.
*Last Updated on 1st October 2023
Chetan Sharma (India – 1987)
India’s fast bowler Chetan Sharma will always have the distinction of taking the first ever Cricket World Cup hat-trick. Sharma’s effort came during India’s final group game against New Zealand in Nagpur in the fourth edition of the World Cup.
His victims were Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ewen Chatfield, all three of whom were clean bowled by Sharma; As soon as he uprooted the leg stump of Chatfield, he confirmed the hat-trick.
Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan – 1999)
The next cricketer to take a hat-trick in the World Cup is Saqlain Mushtaq of the Pakistan cricket team. According to Wisden Statistical Analysis, he is the greatest ODI spinner of all time. Also, he is the first bowler to take 100, 150, 200 and 250 wickets in ODIs. With his exceptional spin skills, he became the record holder for most wickets (69) in ODIs in 1997. Firstly, only two spinners have been able to take a hat-trick in ODIs and he is one of them. Secondly, he is the second of only four bowlers to have taken 2 hat-tricks in ODIs.
Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka – 2003)
Vaas is the only bowler to have taken a hat-trick in the first three balls of the match. This is a record that has never been repeated till now. In a match against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup, Vaas had the charisma of taking 3 wickets in the first 3 balls of the match.
Brett Lee (Australia – 2003)
Just 11 days after Vaas’ heroics, Australian fast bowler Brett Lee took his second hat-trick against Kenya in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. And although it may not have been the first three balls of the game, Lee’s effort was not far off, as he struck in the fourth over in Durban to leave Kenya at 3/3.
Kenyan opener Kennedy Otieno became the first victim as he played the ball towards the stumps with his elbow. Brijal Patel then dismissed Ricky Ponting at second slip, before Lee bowled David Obuya with an amazing 96.6 mph yorker to take a hat-trick.
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka – 2007)
The veteran cricketer of the Sri Lankan cricket team is one of the four bowlers to have taken two hat-tricks in ODI cricket. His skills and techniques used while bowling are sometimes referred to as “slinga malinga”. He was a part of the 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 World Cups. He is the only bowler to take 2 hat-tricks in the World Cup.
Not only this, he has also taken 4 wickets in 4 consecutive balls and 3 hat-tricks twice in ODIs. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup Super 8 match against South Africa, he became the first cricketer to take 4 consecutive wickets in 4 balls. He took his second hat-trick against Kenya in the 2011 World Cup. He holds the record for most hat-tricks in all formats of international cricket.
Kemar Roach (West Indies – 2011)
Witness the incredible moment of Kemar Roach’s hat-trick in the West Indies vs Netherlands World Cup match in 2011. With his exceptional bowling skills, Roach achieved this historic feat, dismissing Pieter Seelaar, Bernard Loots, and Berend Westdijk in consecutive deliveries. This hat-trick not only turned the tide of the game but also left cricket fans in awe of Roach’s talent on the grand stage of the World Cup. Experience the thrill of this extraordinary performance as Roach’s hat-trick showcases his prowess as a bowler and etches his name in World Cup history.
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka – 2011)
Lasith Malinga scored a sensational hat-trick during the Sri Lanka vs Kenya World Cup match in 2011. Malinga’s unmatched bowling skills came to the fore when he dismissed three Kenyan batsmen in a row, leaving fans in awe. This hat-trick not only showcased Malinga’s exceptional skill but also cemented his reputation as one of the greatest bowlers in World Cup history.
Steven Finn (England – 2015)
The English bowler took his first hat-trick in the World Cup against Australia in the 2015 World Cup. The 6’7″ tall cricketer made his ODI debut in 2011 against Australia. The 2015 World Cup was his first ODI World Cup and he took his first hat-trick in cricket in his very first debut match. He took a total of five wickets in that match but the winner of the match was Australia.
JP Duminy (South Africa – 2015)
The ninth – and most recent – Cricket World Cup hat-trick came at the quarter-final stage of CWC15, with South Africa’s JP Duminy claiming the honour. With Sri Lanka 114/4 before his heroics, Duminy’s hat-trick began when he was caught at midwicket by Angelo Mathews off the last ball of the eighth over.
Nuwan Kulasekara was next to fall at the start of Duminy’s ninth over, edging behind for Quinton de Kock to take a good catch. With men surrounding the bat, Duminy bowled the perfect hat-trick ball to trap Tharindu Kaushal lbw and become the first South African to claim a World Cup hat-trick in the process.
Mohammed Shami (India – 2019)
Mohammed Shami is the second Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in a World Cup match. In the match against Afghanistan in the 2019 World Cup, Shami took a hat-trick at a very crucial time and won the match for India. Mohammed Shami’s hat-trick in the India vs Afghanistan World Cup match in 2019 was a remarkable display of bowling skills. In a tense match, Shami produced a brilliant performance to dismiss Mohammad Nabi, Aftab Alam and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in succession. His lethal accuracy and pace stunned the Afghan batsmen and turned the game. Shami’s hat-trick demonstrated his ability to go forward and cemented his reputation as a match-winner.
Trent Boult (New Zealand – 2019)
One of the best bowlers in New Zealand’s bowling lineup is Trent Boult. He is also currently the No. 1 ranked bowler in the Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings. He made his ODI debut in 2012 against the West Indies. Took his first hat-trick in cricket in ODI against Australia in 2019 World Cup. He is the first New Zealand bowler to take a hat-trick in the World Cup. Apart from this, he became the joint highest wicket-taker in the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
| Player | Team | Against | Venue/World Cup | Wickets |
| Chetan Sharma | India | New Zealand | Nagpur/1987 | Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith, Ewen Chatfield |
| Saqlain Mushtaq | Pakistan | Zimbabwe | London/1999 | Henry Olonga, Adam Huckle, Pommie Mbangwa |
| Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | Bangladesh | Pietermaritzburg/2003 | Hannan Sarkar, Mohammad Ashraful, Ehsanul Haque |
| Brett Lee | Australia | Kenya | Durban/2003 | Kennedy Otieno, Brijal Patel, David Obuya |
| Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | South Africa | Providence/2007 | Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini |
| Kemar Roach | West Indies | Netherlands | Delhi/2011 | Pieter Seelaar, Bernard Loots, Berend Westdijk |
| Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | Kenya | Colombo/2011 | Tanmay Mishra, Peter Ongondo, Shem Ngoche |
| Steven Finn | England | Australia | Melbourne/2015 | Brad Haddin, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson |
| JP Duminy | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Sydney/2015 | Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Tharindu Kaushal |
| Mohammed Shami | India | Afghanistan | Southampton/2019 | Mohammad Nabi, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman |
| Trent Boult | New Zealand | Australia | Lord’s (London)/2019 | UT Khawaja, MA Starc, JP Behrendorff |
Frequently Asked Question
Which player has the most hat-tricks in World Cup?
Lasith Malinga. Total 2 World Cup Hat-tricks
Who took the first hat-trick in a World Cup?
Indian Pacer Chetan Sharma
Total hat-trick in cricket world cup 2019?
Two Hattricks. Mohammed Shami against Afghanistan and Trent Boult against Australia.
Most hat-tricks in world cup cricket?
Lasith Malinga hold the record of Most hat-tricks in world cup cricket. He had taken a hatric against South Africa in 2007 World cup and again in 2011 world cup, he took a hat-trick against Kenya.
Who has taken 4 wickets in 4 balls?
Lasith Malinga against South Africa in 2007 World cup.
World cup hat-trick by Indian bowler?
Chetan Sharma (in 1987), Mohammed Shami (in 2019)
