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Early on Sunday, June 23, Australia locked horns with Afghanistan in their second Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent. While the Aussies entered this fixture being one of the teams to be unbeaten in the tournament, the Afghans lost their opening Super 8 match against India in Barbados.
But on Sunday, history was scripted as the Rashid Khan-led side beat Australia for the first time in ICC World Cups (ODIs and T20Is). The Asian country registered an upset, beating the former champions by 21 runs and dented their semifinals hopes in the marquee tournament. In another notable instance, Pat Cummins, the ODI and Test skipper of the side became the first player to take back-to-back hat-tricks in T20Is, although it went in vain.
The Aussie achieved this extraordinary milestone by taking his second hat-trick of the ongoing edition. After securing his first hat-trick in match against Bangladesh on Thursday, Cummins repeated this feat as he dismissed Rashid Khan, Karim Janat and Gulbadin Naib in three consecutive deliveries. Cummins first has Rashid Khan caught by Tim David at long on the last ball of the 18th over. Thereafter, on the first ball of his next over, he dismissed Karim Janat with Tim David again taking a catch at long-on. This was followed by Naib’s wicket, with Glenn Maxwell completing a catch at deep mid-wicket.
Watch Pat Cummins’ historic feat during AFG vs AUS T20WC’24:
Pat Cummins hat-trick: Stats & Numbers
With this feat, he also joined the likes of Wasim Akram and Australia’s Jimmy Matthews to take consecutive hat-tricks in international matches.
Hat-tricks in consecutive international matches:
Wasim Akram vs Sri Lanka (Tests, 1999)
Pat Cummins vs Bangladesh & Afghanistan (T20WC 2024)
Jimmy Matthews vs South Africa (Tests at Old Trafford, 1912)
Two hat-tricks in T20Is:
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
Tim Southee (New Zealand)
Mark Pavlovic (Serbia)
Waseem Abbas (Malta)
Pat Cummins (Australia)
Hat-tricks in Men’s T20 World Cups:
Brett Lee (AUS) vs BAN, Cape Town, 2007
Curtis Campher (IRE) vs NED, Abu Dhabi, 2021
Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) vs SA, Sharjah, 2021
Kagiso Rabada (SA) vs ENG, Sharjah, 2021
Karthik Meiyappan (UAE) vs SL, Geelong, 2022
Joshua Little (IRE) vs NZ, Adelaide, 2022
Pat Cummins (AUS) vs BAN, Antigua, 2024
Pat Cummins (AUS) vs AFG, Kingstown, 2024*
Australia bowlers with hat-tricks in T20Is:
Brett Lee vs Bangladesh, Cape Town, 2007
Ashton Agar vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2020
Nathan Ellis vs Bangladesh, Mirpur, 2021
Pat Cummins vs Bangladesh, Antigua, 2024
Pat Cummins vs Afghanistan, Kingstown, 2024*
