Pat Cummins has become the first Australian cricketer to take a hat-trick in the T20 World Cup after Brett Lee. Cummins took the wickets of Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan and Tauheed Hridaya on consecutive balls in two overs as Australia's bowlers displayed disciplined performance to restrict the Bangladeshis at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound. It was also the first hat-trick in this edition of the T20 World Cup.
Cummins, who returned to the starting line-up, took three wickets for 29 runs in four overs while spinner Adam Zampa also impressed with two wickets for 24 runs as Australia restricted Bangladesh to 140 for eight.
Overall, Cummins became the seventh bowler to take a hat-trick in the T20 World Cup. He is also the fourth Australian to take three wickets in three balls in all T20 Internationals after Lee, Ashton Agar and Nathan Ellis.
Hat-tricks in Men's T20 World Cup
Brett Lee (Australia) vs Bangladesh, Cape Town, 2007
Curtis Campher (Ireland) vs Netherlands, Abu Dhabi, 2021
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) v South Africa, Sharjah, 2021
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) vs England, Sharjah, 2021
Karthik Meiyappan (UAE) vs Sri Lanka, Geelong, 2022
Joshua Little (Ire) vs New Zealand, Adelaide, 2022
Pat Cummins (Australia) v Bangladesh, Antigua, 2024
Australian bowlers who took a hat-trick in T20 International
Brett Lee v Bangladesh, Cape Town, 2007
Ashton Agar vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2020
Nathan Ellis vs Bangladesh, Mirpur, 2021
Pat Cummins vs Bangladesh, Antigua, 2024
Cummins' first victim was Mamdullah. He pulled a slower delivery back onto the stumps on the last ball of the 18th over. Cummins then dismissed Mahedi Hasan, whose ramp shot fell into the lap of the third man fielder.
The Australian Test and ODI captain completed his hat-trick by beating Tauheed Hridaya with a slower delivery. Hridaya tried to scoop the ball over the short fine fielder but couldn't get the desired connection and was caught by Josh Hazlewood.
Mitchell Starc breaks Lasith Malinga's World Cup record
Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc became the most successful bowler in the history of white-ball cricket, taking his 95th World Cup wicket when he dismissed Tanjid Hasan in the first over.
Starc provided the early breakthrough by dismissing Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga to set the tone for Australia's bowlers after captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to bowl.
Australia's bowlers put Bangladesh on the backfoot after Starc's first wicket, and Josh Hazlewood began his first over with a maiden.
Bangladesh managed just eight runs from the first three overs thanks to another superb over from Starc, although Nazmul Hossain Shanto signalled a more aggressive approach by hitting a six off Hazlewood at the start of the fourth over.
Liton Das hit two fours off Starc in the fifth over to take Bangladesh's run rate to 27/1 at 5.40 runs per over.
But Zampa's arrival slowed Bangladesh's batting and the Australian spinner bowled Das in the ninth over after he was tempted to sweep, leaving Bangladesh at 58-2.
Glenn Maxwell struck next in the 10th over, having Rishad Hossain caught by Zampa at short third man for two, leaving Bangladesh at 67/3.
Bangladesh were left in a vulnerable position when Zampa dismissed Shanto for 41 in the 13th over, reducing them to 84/4, but Cummins triggered a lower-order collapse to set Australia 141 for victory.
Rain interrupted Australia's chase several times. When the 2021 champions had scored 100/2 in 11.2 overs, heavy rain fell making it impossible to resume play. Australia were declared winners by 28 runs via the DLS method.