Australian pacer Pat Cummins made history on Sunday by becoming only the second bowler to take a hat-trick in consecutive international matches, a feat previously achieved solely by Pakistan’s Wasim Akram.
Cummins first secured a hat-trick earlier this week against Bangladesh and followed it up with another in today’s unexpected defeat to Afghanistan. He dismissed Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, and Gulbadin Naib to complete his hat-trick.
According to ESPNCricinfo, Cummins joined Akram, who took hat-tricks in consecutive Tests against Sri Lanka in March 1999, as the only players to achieve this in consecutive international matches.
Cummins also became the fifth bowler to record two hat-tricks in men’s T20Is, joining the ranks of Lasith Malinga, Tim Southee, Serbia’s Mark Pavlovic, and Malta’s Waseem Abbas. Additionally, he is the first player to achieve a hat-trick in consecutive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches.
“It was just the eighth time a bowler has completed a hat-trick at a Men’s T20 World Cup and the first time a player has achieved the feat on multiple occasions,” it said.
During the innings break, Cummins admitted that he hadn’t realized he’d completed a hat-trick during the Bangladesh match, but he was aware of it this time around.
“I remembered that one,” Cummins said.
“It’s crazy that I have played 100-odd games for Australia and now I have got two (hat-tricks) in a row,” he added.
