Shamar Springer joins these names with T20I hat-trick vs Afghanistan
What's the story
West Indies clinched a thrilling 15-run victory over Afghanistan in the third and final T20I of their three-match series at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The win was largely due to Shamar Springer's stellar performance, who took four wickets for just 20 runs in his four overs, including a hat-trick in the penultimate over. The result denied Afghanistan a series sweep after they won the first two matches. Here we look at Springer's stellar performance.
Game changer
Sensational spell from Springer
Chasing 152 in Dubai, Afghanistan's openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, got off to a good start with a 74-run partnership. However, the WI bowlers, led by Springer's devastating spell, turned the game around in the last 10 overs. The turning point came in the penultimate over when the right-arm pacer took a sensational hat-trick. He dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz (71), Rashid Khan (0), and Shahidullah (0) in successive deliveries, leaving Afghanistan to finish their innings at 136/8.
Elite list
Springer joins these names
Springer finished his four-over spell with figures worth 4/20. As per ESPNcricinfo, he became the third WI bowler to claim a hat-trick in the format. He joined Romario Shepherd (versus Bangladesh, 2025) and Jason Holder (versus England, 2022). Meanwhile, Australia's Pat Cummins, Pakistan's Mohammad Nawaz, and Qatar's Owais Ahmed are the only other bowlers with hat-tricks against Afghanistan in the shortest format.
Career
A look at his stats
Meanwhile, Springer became the first WI bowler to claim a T20I four-fer against the Afghan side. With his career-best spell, he has raced to eight wickets from six T20Is at 14.12 (ER: 8.07). Overall, in the 20-over format, the right-arm pacer boasts 38 wickets from 44 matches at 24.18. His economy reads 9.25. The 4/20 in the aforementioned game was his second four-fer in T20 cricket and also his best figures.