Decoding Team India bowlers to claim hat-tricks in ODI cricket
What's the story
A hat-trick in ODI cricket is a moment that demands exceptional skill, concentration and a touch of brilliance. For India, only four bowlers have achieved this rare milestone in the ODI format. Chetan Sharma, Kapil Dev, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami have done so. Out of which, spinner Kuldeep has two ODI hat-tricks in his career. Here we present further details.
#1
Chetan Sharma vs NZ, 1987
Chetan Sharma became India's first ODI hat-trick taker when he dismissed Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith, and Ewen Chatfield in three consecutive deliveries against New Zealand at Nagpur during the 1987 World Cup.
His feat came in India's final group game and remains a landmark moment in the country's limited-overs history.
He finished with 3/51 figures and shared Player of Match honors with Sunil Gavaskar.
#2
Kapil Dev vs SL, 1991
Kapil produced India's second ODI hat-trick against Sri Lanka in the 1991 Asia Cup final, Kolkata.
He removed Roshan Mahanama, Sanath Jayasuriya and Rumesh Ratnayake with successive deliveries before adding Graeme Labrooy as his fourth wicket.
His spell of 4/31 helped India restrict Sri Lanka to 204/9, after which India chased down the target comfortably with seven wickets and 17 balls remaining.
#3
Kuldeep Yadav vs AUS, 2017 and vs WI, 2019
Kuldeep became the first Indian bowler to take two ODI hat-tricks.
His first came against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2017, when he dismissed Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins in consecutive deliveries.
His second arrived against West Indies in Visakhapatnam in 2019, when Jason Holder, Ashley Nurse and Shai Hope fell in succession.
Kuldeep's hat-tricks helped India win both these ODI matches.
#4
Mohammed Shami vs AFG, 2019
Shami produced one of India's most dramatic ODI hat-tricks against Afghanistan at Southampton during the 2019 World Cup.
Defending a modest total of 224, he struck in the final over, dismissing Mohammad Nabi, Aftab Alam and Mujeeb Ur Rahman with three successive deliveries.
The feat helped India win by 11 runs and made Shami the second Indian to claim an ODI World Cup hat-trick.