A hat-trick in cricket is when a bowler takes three wickets in three consecutive deliveries. And it is an event that occurs very rarely.
But the impact that the hat-trick has on the bowling team is enormous, as it enables them to exert maximum pressure on the batting side.
The batting team would lose all the momentum they would have had and it leaves them with little time to get back into the contest.
Hence, hat-tricks, though less frequent, are a very significant feat in international cricket. And they often have a great bearing on the match when they do happen.
So here’s a look at the teams with the most hat-tricks in ODI cricket.
Most ODI Hat-tricks by Teams
| Team | Hat-Tricks | Bowlers | First Hat-Trick By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 11 | 8 | Chaminda Vaas |
| Pakistan | 8 | 6 | Jalal-ud-Din |
| Australia | 6 | 6 | Bruce Reid |
| Bangladesh | 5 | 5 | Shahadat Hossain |
| India | 5 | 4 | Chetan Sharma |
| England | 4 | 4 | James Anderson |
| New Zealand | 4 | 3 | Danny Morrison |
| South Africa | 4 | 4 | Charl Langeveldt |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 3 | Eddo Brandes |
| West Indies | 2 | 2 | Jerome Taylor |
Find the same record for Tests and T20Is here.
Key Insights on Teams with Most ODI Hat-Tricks
Most Hat-Tricks by ODI Teams
Sri Lanka have the most players with an ODI hat-trick, with eight of their bowlers achieving the feat.
Zimbabwe have conceded the most ODI hat-tricks among teams, being on the receiving end nine times.
First Hat-Trick Takers in ODIs and World Cup
Pakistan’s Jalal-ud-Din took the first-ever ODI hat-trick against Australia at the Niaz Stadium in 1982. He dismissed Rod Marsh, Bruce Yardley and Geoff Lawson.
India’s Chetan Sharma was the first bowler to register a hat-trick in an ODI World Cup. The pacer took three wickets in three balls against New Zealand in Nagpur in the 1987 fixture. This was also the first Indian hat-trick in international cricket.
Individual Hat-Trick Records in ODIs
Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga has bagged the most ODI hat-tricks as a bowler. He claimed three of those, one in 2007 and two in 2011.
Notably, Malinga took two of his three hat-tricks in the Cricket World Cup, the most by a bowler. His first hat-trick came against South Africa in 2007, while the other came against Kenya in 2011.
Malinga’s 2007 hat-trick against South Africa included four consecutive dismissals. This is the only instance of a bowler dismissing four batters in four consecutive balls in ODIs.
Six bowlers have taken more than one hat-trick in ODI cricket. While Lasith Malinga has three, Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan), Trent Boult (New Zealand), Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka), Wasim Akram (Pakistan) and Kuldeep Yadav (India) have taken two hat-tricks each.
ODI Hat-Tricks by Youngest and Debutant Bowlers
At 19 years and 81 days, Pakistan’s Aaqib Javed became the youngest bowler to take an ODI hat-trick.
Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam (vs Zimbabwe, 2014), South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada (vs Bangladesh, 2015), Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga (vs Zimbabwe, 2017) and Sri Lanka’s Shehan Madushanka (vs Bangladesh, 2018) are the four bowlers to pick an ODI hat-trick on their debut. Notably, that was the only ODI appearance made by Shehan for Sri Lanka.
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