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Cricket PlayersWatch: How Chennai-born Karthik Meiyappan became first UAE bowler to pick up hat-trick in T20 World Cup vs Sri Lanka
22-year-old leg-spinner, Karthik Meiyappan, on Tuesday became the first ever bowler from the UAE to pick up a hat-trick in the tournament history, a feat which he achieved against format T20 world champions Sri Lanka.
The 2022 T20 World Cup has kicked off on an intriguing note in Australia. The two days of the qualifier rounds for the Super 12 witnessed to upsets as former champions, Sri Lanka and West Indies, were both stunned by lower-ranked teams. On the third afternoon, Netherlands produced yet another stunner in a low-scoring thriller which left competition in Group A wide open. And then in the second match on Tuesday, at the Simonds Stadium in Geelong, a Chennai-born cricketer scripted a massive piece of history for the UAE in the T20 World Cup.
22-year-old leg-spinner, Karthik Meiyappan, on Tuesday became the first ever bowler from the UAE to pick up a hat-trick in the tournament history, a feat which he achieved against format T20 world champions Sri Lanka.
It happened in the 15th over of the Group A match. Against the fourth ball of that over, a tossed-up delivery from Meiyappan, wide and outside off, Sri Lanka batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa took the aerial route, with the aim to clear deep extra cover, but was found by the man in the deep and perished. The next ball was a googly that completely bamboozled Asalanka as he produced a think outside edge and the rest was completed by the wicketkeeper. On a hat-trick, Meiyappan dished out another wrong 'un and Dasun Shanaka went for the forward press. But the ball sneaked through the gates and rattled against the stumps to dismiss the Sri Lanka skipper for a golden duck.
Meiyappan became only the fifth bowler in T20 World Cup history to pick up a hat-trick in the tournament after Brett Lee (2007), Curtis Campher (2021), Wanindu Hasaranga (2021) and Kagiso Rabada (2021). Overall, he is the first ever bowler from an associate nation to have rerecorded this feat against a full-member nation in men’s World Cups (T20Is or ODIs).
"Getting a hat-trick in a World Cup game against Sri Lanka. Against the leftie I wanted to take it away from him. Against Shanaka, that was a special ball for me to get him bowled between bat and pad. There was not so much purchase off the wicket, but it was important for me to bowl wicket to wicket. Will be the sweetest thing possible if the batters get us over the line," he said after his 3 for 19 from four overs helped UAE restrict Sri Lanka to 152 for eight in 20 overs.
