On 9th April, the KKR faced off against the GT in an exciting match that ended in a nerve-wracking last-ball thriller. The match was filled with several top-notch performances from players, Rashid Khan, the stand-in skipper, picked up a hat-trick, dismissing the dangerous trio of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Shardul Thakur. It was Rinku Singh’s heroics with the bat that immortalized his name in IPL cricket history.
At the Narendra Modi Stadium, GT won the toss and decided to bat first. They posted a formidable total of 204/4 at the end of their 20 overs, largely owing to the half-centuries scored by Sai Sudarshan (53 runs off 38 balls) and Vijay Shankar (63 runs off 24 balls). However, Sunil Narine’s impressive bowling performance of 3 wickets for just 33 runs in his four overs prevented GT from setting an even bigger total.
In response, KKR issued a strong reply and were cruising at 154/3 when Venkatesh Iyer was dismissed after scoring an excellent half-century (83 off 40 balls). Following this, Rashid Khan picked up a hat-trick. With 28 runs required from the last five balls, it seemed like the match was over for KKR.
However, Rinku Singh had other plans. He smashed five consecutive sixes off the bowling of Yash Dayal in an incredible display of breathtaking strokeplay, leading KKR to victory by three wickets. Despite his impressive hat-trick, Rashid Khan ended up on the losing side.
Speaking of hat-tricks, let’s take a look at three instances when a captain has picked up a hat-trick in the IPL.
1) Yuvraj Singh (Kings XI Punjab) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2009
Yuvraj Singh had the privilege of captaining Kings XI Punjab during the 2008 and 2009 seasons of the IPL. With the tournament being played in South Africa, there were high hopes for him due to his excellent performance in the 2007 T20 World Cup held in the country.
In a match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Singh picked up a hat-trick, dismissing world-class batters such as Robin Uthappa, Jacques Kallis, and Mark Boucher. Uthappa was caught in the deep, Kallis was bowled, and Boucher was struck plump in front for an LBW in the first ball of Singh’s next over.
Despite his impressive performance with the ball, Singh could not lead his team to victory. Kings XI Punjab lost the match by eight runs. Singh, however, returned to score a half-century with the bat, but it was not enough to secure a win for his team.
2) Yuvraj Singh (Kings XI Punjab) vs Deccan Chargers, 2009
Yuvraj Singh continued his excellent performance in the 2009 IPL season by picking up another hat-trick, this time against the Deccan Chargers. In this match, Singh once again dismissed the top batters of the opposing team as he got Herschelle Gibbs out on the last ball of his second over.
In his next over, Singh picked up the wickets of Andrew Symonds and Venugopal Rao to record his second hat-trick of the tournament. His impressive bowling performance helped Kings XI Punjab secure a thrilling one-run victory over the Deccan Chargers.
Singh’s performance in the match was instrumental in his team’s victory. It showcased his exceptional skill as a bowler and demonstrated why he was one of the most sought-after players in the IPL.
3) Shane Watson (Rajasthan Royals) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2014
During the 2014 IPL season, Shane Watson was the captain of the Rajasthan Royals. In a match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Watson demonstrated his excellent bowling skills by picking up three wickets in the match, including a hat-trick.
Watson’s first wicket was that of Shikhar Dhawan, whom he dismissed on the last ball of the fourth over. In the 17th over, Watson returned to pick up the wickets of Moises Henriques and Karn Sharma in the first two balls, completing his hat-trick.
Despite Watson’s impressive performance with the ball, his team was unable to secure a victory. The Rajasthan Royals lost the match by 32 runs. However, Watson’s hat-trick was a significant achievement and showcased his abilities as both a bowler and a captain.