Shahid Afridi takes hat-trick in T10 cricket, Virender Sehwag his record victim

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi bowled his side to victory against Virender Sehwag’s team in the inaugural T10 League cricket at Sharjah

Shahid Afridi may have finally retired from international cricket, but even at the age of 37, he manages to grab the headlines whenever he gets a chance to play cricket at any level. On Thursday, the former Pakistan all-rounder entered his name in the record books of cricket again by becoming the first player to take a hat-trick in the inaugural T10 League at Sharjah.

Shahid Afridi of Pakhtoons celebrates with teammates after taking a hat-trick during the T10 League match against Maratha Arabians at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on December 14. (Getty Images)

Afridi, who was leading Pakhtoons, dismissed South African Rilee Rossouw, West Indian DJ Bravo and former Indian opener Virender Sehwag off the first three deliveries of the fifth over to achieve this feat. Former India opener Sehwag was his record victim.

Riding on Afridi’s brilliance, his team beat Sehwag-led Maratha Arabians by 25 runs in the second match of the tournament that is being seen as a precursor to cricket’s entry into the Olympics.

After coming in to bowl the fifth over of Arabians’ innings, Afridi first sent Rossouw home as the South African holed out to Najibullah Zadran at long-on while trying to clear the rope. He, then, bowled a quicker delivery to catch Bravo plumb in front before dismissing his old rival, Virender Sehwag, in a similar fashion.

Reduced to 46/5, it looked all over for Arabians, but English batsman Alex Hales gave them a semblance of chance by smashing 57 off 26 balls with the help of five fours and four sixes. In the end, the target proved too much for Arabians as they could muster only 96/7.

Earlier, batting first Afridi’s Pakhtoons had posted 121/4 in the stipulated 10 overs, thanks to Fakhar Zaman’s 22-ball 45 and Liam Dawson’s 23-ball 44.