A hat-trick is a special moment for every bowler, as the player can celebrate it by picking up wickets in three successive deliveries. It is a very rare incident that a bowler wants to experience at least once. However, only lucky bowlers have enjoyed it. Even an illegitimate delivery or dismissals like run-out can destroy this moment. However, the cricket world calls a team hat-trick if this wicket-falling streak involves a run-out. Meanwhile, a hat-trick can be spread between two different overs of one match, but it should be the bowler’s wicket in three successive deliveries.
What is a Double Hat-Trick in cricket?
The double hat-trick is the rarest of rare achievements in cricket history. After securing a hat-trick to the name, if a bowler extends his wicket-taking streak to the fourth consecutive delivery of the match, without delivering any illegitimate ball in between the successive wickets, it is generally known as a double hat-trick.
Simply, if a bowler takes wickets in four consecutive deliveries (without any illegitimate delivery), the hat-trick is called a double hat-trick.
Records: List of bowlers who took a double hat-trick in international cricket
In international cricket history, we have experienced eight double hat-tricks from seven different bowlers, including one in ODI and seven in T20Is.
Date | Format | Player (Team) | Opposition | Batters (dismissal type) | Venue |
28 March 2007 | ODI | Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) | South Africa | Shaun Pollock (b) Andrew Hall (c) Jacques Kallis (c) Makhaya Ntini (b) | Georgetown |
24 February 2019 | T20I | Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) | Ireland | Kevin O'Brien (c) George Dockrell (c) Shane Getkate (st) Simi Singh (lbw) | Dehradun |
6 September 2019 | T20I | Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) | New Zealand | Colin Munro (b) Hamish Rutherford (lbw) Colin de Grandhomme (b) Ross Taylor (lbw) | Kandy |
18 October 2021 | T20I | Curtis Campher (Ireland) | Netherlands | Colin Ackermann (c) Ryan ten Doeschate (lbw) Scott Edwards (lbw) Roelof van der Merwe (b) | Abu Dhabi |
30 January 2022 | T20I | Jason Holder (West Indies) | England | Chris Jordan (c) Sam Billings (c) Adil Rashid (c) Saqib Mahmood (b) | Bridgetown |
25 September 2024 | T20I | Waseem Yaqoob (Lesotho) | Mali | Amara Nimaga (b) Dramane Berthe (b) Mahamadou Malle (lbw) Yacouba Konate (b) | Dar es Salaam |
15 December 2024 | T20I | Hernán Fennell (Argentina) | Cayman Islands | Troy Taylor (c) Alistair Ifill (lbw) Ronald Ebanks (c) Alessandro Morris (c) | Buenos Aires |
Memorable Double Hat-Tricks in international cricket history
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) against South Africa in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007
Former Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga was not only famous for his exceptional slog over bowling, thanks to his incredible yorker deliveries, he was also known as a hat-trick king. During the Super 8s stage game at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 against South Africa at Georgetown, Malinga recorded the first-ever international double hat-trick which is also the only ODI double hat-trick to date.
Chasing down the 210-run target, South Africa already scored 206/5, and the Proteas still had 32 balls left. Suddenly, Malinga destroyed South Africa’s late batting order which panicked at the dead end. In the last two deliveries of the 45th over, Malinga took the wickets of Shaun Pollock (13) and Andrew Hall (0). In his next over, while the Proteas were three runs away from the win, Jacques Kallis was caught behind on the first delivery for 86 runs, which completed Malinga’s memorable hat-trick. On the next ball, Makhaya Ntini was bowled for a golden duck as Malinga recorded the first double hat-trick in international cricket history.
Malinga suddenly brought the game to a do-or-die situation, and South Africa ultimately chased the target in 48.2 overs and won the match by one wicket. If the Proteas lost the game, it would be one of the most embarrassing defeats in international cricket history.
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) against Ireland in the 2019 T20I
While it was the seventh T20I hat-trick, it was the first double hat-trick in T20I history. Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan quickly announced his arrival in world cricket and earned a great place in the list of legendary spinners in modern cricket history. It was the match against Ireland at Dehradun, where Ireland were chasing 211 runs.
Ireland had a great start at chasing while they were fighting 128/1 at one stage. However, the rising required run rate put pressure on the Irish team, which they failed to handle. Meanwhile, on the final ball of the 16th over, Rashid picked up his first wicket of the match after dismissing the dangerous opener Kevin O’Brien for 74 off 47 balls (five fours and three sixes).
On the first two balls of his next over, Rashid dismissed George Dockrell (18) and Shane Getkate (2) to complete his hat-trick. On the next ball, the leg-spinner dismissed Simi Singh for a golden duck to become the first bowler in T20I history to record a double hat-trick. Rashid finished that game with bowling figures of 4-0-27-5 after he bowled Josh Little (6) in the final over of the innings.
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) against New Zealand in the 2019 T20I
While Lasith Malinga is still the only bowler to record three ODI hat-tricks, including a double hat-trick in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 against South Africa, the T20 World Cup 2014 title-winning captain was also the first bowler to record two T20I hat-tricks. His second T20I hat-trick was a double hat-trick which was against New Zealand.
After Sri Lanka were restricted to 125/8 in 20 overs at Pallekele, the hosts were required to produce a storm just like what Malinga did. It was the third over of the innings, and Malinga took four wickets in successive deliveries in his second over of the match. After delivering two dot balls, Malinga first bowled the opener Colin Munro (12), which also helped him to become the first bowler in T20I history to pick up 100 wickets.
On his next three deliveries, Malinga trapped Hamish Rutherford for lbw, bowled Colin de Grandhomme, and recorded another successful lbw appeal against Ross Taylor. All of his last three batters were dismissed for the golden ducks. From 15/0, the Blackcaps were suddenly shaken to 15/4. New Zealand were bundled out for 88 runs, where the Player of the Match Malinga finished with the bowling figures of 4-1-6-5 as he dismissed another opener Tim Seifert in his next over for only eight runs.
While Malinga was the captain of that Sri Lankan team, it was also the first T20I hat-trick by a captain.
Curtis Campher (Ireland) against Netherlands in the T20 World Cup 2021
While we have already experienced some memorable hat-tricks in the Men’s T20 World Cup history, it is presently the only instance when we have experienced a double hat-trick in the tournament history. During the first round of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 at Abu Dhabi, Netherlands were bundled out for only 106 runs, which the Irish team chased in 15.1 overs after losing only three wickets.
It was the 10th over of the first innings when the Netherlands were battling at 51/2. After dismissing Colin Ackermann (11), Campher dismissed the other big names in the next three deliveries as Ryan ten Doeschate, Scott Edwards, and former South African Roelof van der Merwe were dismissed for golden ducks. From 51/2, the Dutch side was suddenly struggling at 51/6. Player of the Match Campher ended the match with the bowling figures of 4-0-26-4.
