Four wickets in four deliveries; and this is not the first time Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga has achieved in white ball cricket. His T20 exploits though now has another golden feather on his already illustrious cap, as his hat-trick during the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand has taken his tally to over 100 wickets in the format, becoming the first player to reach the milestone.
Captains with a five-wicket haul in T20Is
5/21 - Shakib Al Hasan in 2018
5/17 - CW Perchard for Jersey in 2019
Tonight - Lasith Malinga!#SLvNZ— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) September 6, 2019
As if that is not enough, he is now also the first bowler to grab two hat-tricks in T20 internationals, having taken his first hat-trick against Bangladesh in Colombo on April 2017. Furthermore, his return has also taken him over Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, as he has become set a record of most number of hat-tricks in international cricket. While Akram had two hat-tricks in ODI and Tests, Malinga has taken his tally to five international hat-tricks.
Having already surpassed Pakistan spinner Shahid Afridi's tally of 97 scalps to become the leading T20 wicket-taker on Sunday, Malinga completed his game with five wickets while conceding just six runs. As for Sri Lanka, they won final T20I of the series with 37 runs. The series, however, ended with New Zealand taking home the title after winning the first two games of the series.
Meanwhile, Malinga’s performance has sent Twitter into a frenzy and this is how they are reacting to it:
#SLvNZ
Wow wow wow
Look who is roaring it's Latish Malinga
WWWW four in four pic.twitter.com/1gDJaqJYEz— AnandSourabh (@Sourabh16463914) September 6, 2019
Madness, absolute madness at Pallekele.. #SLvNZ
— Asad Ullah Qasim (@asad_q78) September 6, 2019
#LasithMalinga still got it.
One of the best t20 bowler ever.
4 wickets in 4 balls #Legend #SLvNZ— Kishor (@kishkop) September 6, 2019
Lasith Malinga:
Only bowler with 3 hat-tricks in ODIs.
Only bowler with 2 hat-tricks in T20Is.
Five hat-tricks in International cricket - most by any player. #SLvNZ
— Muhammad Qasim Iftik (@Qasimifti) September 6, 2019
Malinga Malinga Malinga #Malinga #SLvNZ
— Shivam Rachit (@shivam_rachit) September 6, 2019
Kid Malinga: Sir the website is not opening.
Computer teacher: Let me check.
*Checks*
Teacher: Lasith, you again put WWWW instead of WWW. Uff!
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) September 6, 2019
History maker #Malinga. Simply amazing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Jasprit Bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) September 6, 2019
First man to 100 wickets
Tests: Johnny Briggs in 1895
ODIs: Dennis Lillee in 1983
T20Is: Lasith Malinga TODAY— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) September 6, 2019
Malinga vs New Zealand#SLvNZ pic.twitter.com/zgeIwUYbF3
— The Realistic (@TheRealistic_) September 6, 2019
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Lakruwan Wanniarachchi
