From Brett Lee to Chris Jordan: Full list of hat-tricks in T20 World Cup history

For bowlers, the T20 format is especially challenging with minimal margin for errors. With each bowler allotted a maximum of four overs in T20I cricket, hat-tricks are rare occurrences, even more so at the T20 World Cups. 

In nine editions so far, only eight bowlers, Brett Lee, Curtis Campher, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kagiso Rabada, Karthik Meiyappan, Josh Little, Pat Cummins and Chris Jordan have managed to scalp a hat-trick in the T20 World Cup.

No bowler has managed more than one hat-trick in T20 World Cup history. Moreover, in the five editions between 2009 and 2016, not a single hat-trick was registered.

The 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the UAE and Oman, witnessed three hat-tricks - the most in a single edition.

Hat-tricks in T20 World Cup history

The first hat-trick in the T20 World Cup was taken by Australia’s Brett Lee. In the 14th match of the inaugural edition of the tournament, Lee came into the attack in the 17th over against Bangladesh to dismiss Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza and Alok Kapali with the third, fourth and fifth balls of the over, respectively. The whirlwind spell helped the Aussies clinch a comfortable victory over the Bangla Tigers in the match.

Curtis Campher of Ireland registered the second hat-trick in the T20 World Cup, 14 years after Lee’s first. Campher bowled a match-winning spell in the third match of the 2021 edition to help Ireland bowl out the Netherlands out for 106 runs. 

In the 10th over of the Dutch innings, Curtis Campher claimed four wickets in four balls, dismissing Colin Ackermann, Ryan ten Doeschate, Scott Edwards and Roelof van der Merwe with his second, third, fourth and fifth balls of the over, respectively. Till date, Campher remains the only bowler to pick four wickets in successive deliveries in the T20 World Cup.

Days later, Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga scalped another hat-trick in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka batted first and posted 142 runs against South Africa in the 25th match of the tournament. 

After a positive start by the Proteas, Hasaranga came on to bowl his second spell and ended up breaking the South African batters’ momentum. He took the wicket of Aiden Markram in the final ball of the 15th over and then scalped Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorius in successive deliveries of his next over to complete his hat-trick.

Kagiso Rabada, South Africa’s premier pacer, logged the fourth hat-trick in the T20 World Cup and the third of the 2021 edition. The Proteas batted first in the 39th match of the edition against England and scored 189/2. The Englishmen looked favourites to chase the target down but Rabada flipped the script in the final over of the game.

Rabada claimed the wicket of Chris Woakes with the first ball and followed up by dismissing Eoin Morgan and Chris Jordan in the next two deliveries. He conceded only three runs in the over to help the Proteas clinch victory. 

UAE’s Karthik Meiyappan registered the first hat-trick by an associate nation player in the T20 World Cup with a treble against Sri Lanka in the 2022 edition in Australia. Meiyappan struck with his final three deliveries of the 15th over, getting rid of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka.

Josh Little became the second Irish cricketer to scalp a T20 World Cup hat-trick, dismissing Kane Williamson, James Neesham and Mitchell Santner of New Zealand in the Super 12 game of the 2022 edition. 

The most recent T20 World Cup in 2024 saw Pat Cummins become the second Austrlian after Brett Lee to take a T20 World Cup hat-trick. He became the seventh player to do so in the tournament's history and dismissed Bangladesh's Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, and Towhid Hridoy to help Australia to a 28-run win via DLS method in a Super 8 match. While he dismissed Mahmudullah and Mahedi Hasan at the end of the 18th over, Cummins got Towhid Hridoy out with the first ball of the 20th over.

Few days later, Cummins scripted history with second consecutive T20 World Cup hat-trick. The star pacer registered a hat-trick over two overs against Bangladesh in a T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 clash at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent.

Cummins dismissed Rashid Khan, Karim Janat and Gulbadin Naib with three consecutive deliveries to complete another hat-trick in the marquee ICC tournament.

England's Chris Jordan became the latest entrant in the list after he bagged a hat-trick against the United States in a T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 encounter at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Jordan became the first England bowler to take a hat trick in T20 Internationals after he removed USA's Ali Khan, Nosthush Kenjige and Saurabh Netravalkar in the 19th over. Get list of hat-tricks in T20 World Cup history.

Hat-tricks in T20 World Cup history: Get full list of bowlers

Photo credit: GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP