Australia’s Pat Cummins achieved a rare feat in the T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight match against Afghanistan by taking his second T20I hat-trick in three days. With this accomplishment, he joined the ranks of just five other bowlers in men’s T20Is to have achieved two hat-tricks.
Cummins took the wickets of Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, and Gulbadin Naib in successive deliveries to complete his hat-trick. He expressed his surprise at achieving two hat-tricks in quick succession after playing over 100 games for Australia. If it wasn’t for David Warner missing a catch in the outfield, Cummins could have had a second hat-trick in the same match.
Among those who have taken two T20I hat-tricks, Cummins joined the ranks of Lasith Malinga, Tim Southee, Serbia’s Mark Pavlovic, and Malta’s Waseem Abbas. It was noted that the short time span between Cummins’ two hat-tricks was not unprecedented, as Pavlovic had achieved his on consecutive days in 2023. Cummins also became the second player to take a hat-trick in consecutive international matches after Wasim Akram, who accomplished this in successive Tests against Sri Lanka in 1999.
The achievement of taking two hat-tricks in a short span of time solidified Cummins’ position as one of the best fast bowlers in the world. His incredible display of skill and accuracy made him a standout performer in the T20 World Cup 2024.