Four bowlers who celebrated hat-trick on ODI debut

Hat-tricks are extremely rare. Dismissing three batsmen in three consecutive balls is no mean feat. Thus in 48 years and 4000-plus ODIs, only 48 such occurrences have taken place. Even rarer feat is taking a hat-trick in your first match itself. So far, only four bowlers have taken a hat-trick on ODI debut. Surprisingly, all four instances have occurred in the last five years.

Taijul Islam – Bangladesh (2014)

Batting first at Dhaka, Zimbabwe collapsed from 95/1 to 120/6 with Bangladeshi spinners taking over. The debutant left-arm spinner Tailjul Islam took his first wicket on the first ball of his sixth over. He finished the over by getting Tinashe Panyangara LBW on the last ball. Taijul sent back John Nyumbu on the first ball of his next over with another leg before claim. He then completed the hat-trick by breaking through the defence of Tendai Chatara. Tailjul became the first bowler to take an ODI hat-trick on debut.

Congratulations to @BCBtigers‘ Taijul Islam who takes a hat-trick on his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Dhaka #BanvZim pic.twitter.com/gSOk2Vie0O

— ICC (@ICC) December 1, 2014

Kagiso Rabada – South Africa (2015)

A rain delay reduced the ODI at Dhaka to a 40-over affair. South Africa bowling first, handed a debut to a young fast bowler named Kagiso Rabada. The 20-year-old conceded two runs in his opening over and began the second with three dot balls. Rabada then slipped a full delivery which castled Tamim Iqbal. Liton Das handed a catch to Farhaan Behardien on the next ball. The pacer completed his hat-trick by trapping Mahmudullah in front of the stumps. He went on to take 6/16 in the game, registering the best ODI bowling figures on debut.

Wanindu Hasaranga – Sri Lanka (2017)

Wanindu Hasaranga after his hat-trick (Image: ICC Twitter)

Batting first at Galle in the second ODI, Zimbabwe faltered against the Sri Lankan spinners. At 151/7, they were already crumbling. Debutant leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga stepped up to bowl his 3rd over. Malcolm Waller was his first scalp who under-edged the ball onto his stumps. Hasaranga followed this with two googlies. First found Donald Tiripano’s pads in front of the stumps and second thrashed onto the stumps of Tendai Chatara. Sri Lanka seized the game by seven wickets.

Shehan Madushanka – Sri Lanka (2018)

Madushanka made his ODI debut in final of a tri-series tournament. Sri Lanka were defending 221 runs in the final. Dushmantha Chameera and Akila Dananjaya took regular wickets which crippled Bangladesh’s response. At 141/6, all of Bangladesh’s hopes depended on Mahmudullah who was going strong. Madushanka dashed all hopes with a hat-trick in his next two overs. Sri Lanka won the tournament but strangely this remains Madushanka’s only ODI outing.