Complete Hat-Tricks Record in T20 World Cup History (2007–2026)

Nine bowlers have grabbed hat-tricks at T20 World Cups from 2007 through 2026. Pat Cummins is the only one who’s done it twice, both times in 2024. Australia sits at the top with three, and Ireland’s got two.

Brett Lee kicked things off in 2007 when Australia played Bangladesh at Cape Town in the first-ever T20 World Cup. Fast forward to February 2026, Romario Shepherd picked up the most recent one when West Indies faced Scotland. Seven others squeezed in between across the 2021, 2022, and 2024 tournaments.

2021 was crazy. Three hat-tricks happened in one tournament. Curtis Campher outdid everyone by getting four wickets off four straight balls against the Netherlands. Nobody had pulled that off in any World Cup format before. Wanindu Hasaranga and Kagiso Rabada got theirs within days of Campher.

Associate nations aren’t just making up numbers anymore. Ireland shows up twice through Campher and Josh Little. UAE’s Karthik Meiyappan grabbed one in 2022. These performances prove T20 cricket doesn’t care about your country’s ranking.

All T20 World Cup Hat-Tricks (2007-2026)

1. Brett Lee (Australia vs Bangladesh, Cape Town, 2007)

Brett Lee’s hat-trick at Newlands happened during the inaugural T20 World Cup. Australia was killing it in ODIs back then, and Lee brought that same energy to T20s. His pace and yorkers worked perfectly on that Cape Town pitch.

Bangladesh was chasing when Lee struck. He cleaned up their middle order in one over, completely destroying their momentum. Australia made the semifinals but lost to India, who went on to win the whole thing. Lee set the template for fast bowlers in T20 cricket that day.

Fourteen years passed before anyone matched it. 2021 finally broke the drought with a three-in-one tournament. Lee retired in 2012, but his 2007 hat-trick stayed unique for over a decade.

2. Curtis Campher (Ireland vs Netherlands, Abu Dhabi, 2021)

Curtis Campher grabbed four wickets off four consecutive balls against Netherlands on October 18, 2021. Tests, ODIs, T20s, nobody had done this at any World Cup before. Campher was playing his 11th T20 international. That’s it.

He got them in different ways, too. Two caught, one bowled, one LBW. Netherlands was cruising, then suddenly they lost four wickets in four balls. Ireland won, and Campher became famous overnight.

He’s not expressing pace. Medium fast with good control and swing. That’s what killed the Netherlands. Four in four sits with hat-tricks as one of cricket’s toughest feats. Six bowlers have managed it across all T20 records, and Campher’s the only one to do so at a World Cup.

3. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka vs South Africa, Sharjah, 2021)

Wanindu Hasaranga spins it and reads that Sharjah pitch like a book on October 30, 2021. His hat-trick beat South Africa in a must-win group game. Three wickets in his third over destroyed South Africa’s middle order while they were chasing.

Hasaranga bowls leg spin with good control and variations. The Sharjah surface helped him turn the ball sharply. South Africa’s batters couldn’t pick his googly, and once he got two wickets, panic set in. The third came off a caught and bowled that sealed his hat-trick.

Sri Lanka needed that win badly to stay alive in the tournament. Hasaranga delivered when it mattered most. His spell was the difference between Sri Lanka advancing or going home early.

4. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa vs England, Sharjah, 2021)

Kagiso Rabada’s hat-trick came in the powerplay on November 6, 2021, making it even nastier. England needed 190, and Rabada hit them early. South Africa cruised after that. Rabada bowls quick, mixed yorkers with good length, stuff that England couldn’t pick.

The hat-trick happened within the first six overs, which is rare. Most hat-tricks come either in the middle overs or at the death. Rabada’s pace and accuracy during the powerplay restrictions caught England off guard. Three wickets in quick succession left England at 20 for 3.

Rabada finished with excellent figures that match. South Africa won comfortably, and Rabada’s opening burst set everything up. His ability to swing the new ball at high pace made him unplayable that day.

5. Karthik Meiyappan (UAE vs Sri Lanka, Geelong, 2022)

Karthik Meiyappan took his hat-trick against Sri Lanka at Geelong on October 18, 2022. Leg spinner who became the first associate nation bowler to get a World Cup hat-trick after the tournament expanded. Small cricket nations can compete when you give them a shot.

Meiyappan bowls leg breaks with a few googlies mixed in. The Geelong pitch had some turn, and he used it perfectly. Sri Lanka was cruising in their chase when Meiyappan struck three times in one over. All three dismissals came through different methods, showing his variety.

UAE didn’t win that match, but Meiyappan’s performance put associate cricket on the map. His hat-trick proved that talent exists everywhere, not just in the Big Ten nations. UAE cricket has grown because of performances like this.

6. Josh Little (Ireland vs New Zealand, Adelaide, 2022)

Josh Little got his against New Zealand at Adelaide on November 4, 2022. Left-arm quick who struck in the middle overs when New Zealand was building something. His three wickets came between the 12th and 14th overs, right when New Zealand thought they had control.

Little bowls left arm pace with good swing and accuracy. New Zealand was at 120 for 3 when Little came back for his second spell. Three wickets later, they were 120 for 6 and Ireland had a real chance. His hat-trick included two caught behind and one bowled.

Ireland lost that match, but Little’s spell kept them in it longer than expected. His hat-trick showed why Ireland keeps competing with bigger teams. They have match winners who can flip games in one over.

7. Pat Cummins (Australia vs Bangladesh, North Sound, 2024)

Pat Cummins grabbed his first World Cup hat-trick against Bangladesh at North Sound on June 20, 2024. The hat-trick came in the 18th over when Bangladesh was trying to accelerate. Cummins bowled yorkers and slower balls to clean them up.

Bangladesh needed quick runs, and Cummins had other plans. His first wicket was a yorker that snuck through. The second one came off a slower ball that the batter mishit to cover. The third wicket was another yorker that crashed into the middle stump.

Australia was defending a moderate total, and Cummins’ spell shut the door. His ability to execute yorkers under pressure is why he’s rated so highly. 

Check his full Pat Cummins stats to see why he’s one of the best across formats.

8. Pat Cummins (Australia vs Afghanistan, Kingstown, 2024)

Pat Cummins became the first bowler ever to grab two T20 World Cup hat-tricks when he got his second on June 22, 2024. Afghanistan copped it at Kingstown just two days after his Bangladesh hat-trick. This one came in the 19th over, again during the death.

Afghanistan was chasing and needed boundaries. Cummins bowled three perfect yorkers in a row. The first one got an inside edge onto the stumps. Second was a clean bowled. The third went through the gate and smashed the stumps. Three balls, three yorkers, three wickets.

Nobody had done two hat-tricks in one World Cup tournament before at any level. Cummins captains Australia everywhere, and this showed why they trust him in crunch moments. His accuracy at the death makes him lethal when batters are swinging.

9. Chris Jordan (England vs USA, Bridgetown, 2024)

Chris Jordan grabbed the ninth World Cup hat-trick when England played the USA at Bridgetown on June 23, 2024. Jordan bowls death overs for England all the time. Slower balls and yorkers got him three straight wickets.

The USA was already falling apart when Jordan came in for his final over. His hat-trick came in the 19th over. The first wicket was a slower ball that got spooned to mid-off. Second was a yorker that cleaned up the stumps. Third came off another slower ball that the batter miscued to long-on.

England won easily, and Jordan’s hat-trick put the cherry on top. He’s been England’s death bowler for years, and this performance showed why. His variations at death are tough to pick out, especially under lights.

Associate Nations Grabbed Their Moment

Ireland’s on this list twice with Campher and Little. Both bowl pace and show how much Ireland’s limited-overs cricket has grown. Their program has developed rapidly over the past 10 years; World Cup performances prove it.

In 2022, the UAE’s Meiyappan broke through. His hat trick showed that smaller cricket nations can compete if given a chance. It’s no longer surprising that associate teams win games, but individual records like hat-tricks show these players are good enough.

Ireland has been good at T20s for a long time, and they often beat full members at ICC tournaments. Different teams have won the World Cup in different years, which shows how open T20 cricket has become. The format doesn’t favor traditional powers as much as Tests do.

Countries With Most World Cup Hat-Tricks

Australia got three from Brett Lee in 2007 and twice from Cummins in 2024. All three were pace bowlers, which fits how Australian cricket works. They’ve always produced quality fast bowlers.

Ireland has two through Campher and Little. Both represent Ireland’s growing strength in limited-overs cricket. England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, UAE, and West Indies have one each.

The spread shows how competitive T20 World Cups are now. Old powers like Australia and England don’t run things the way they do in Tests. Any team can win on the day, and individual performances like hat-tricks can come from anywhere.

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What Makes Hat-Tricks So Rare

Three straight wickets need skill, nerves, and luck. The first wicket might come from good bowling. Second needs the next batter to mess up or the bowler to nail it again. Third, everyone needs everything because by then, everyone knows what’s happening.

Batters change how they play after watching two teammates walk back. They get careful, making that third wicket harder. Bowlers feel it too. The whole stadium knows a hat-trick’s on. That pressure killed plenty of chances at the third wicket.

Field settings matter big time. Captains go aggressive after two quick ones, bringing fielders up close for catches. But that opens gaps smart batters can exploit. Finding that balance between attack and defense often decides if the hat-trick happens.

T20 makes hat-tricks harder than ODIs or Tests. Batters take more risks, which should mean more wickets. But they also score quicker, meaning fewer balls get bowled total. Bowlers get four overs max in T20, just 24 balls to grab three consecutive wickets. ODI and Test bowlers work with longer spells.

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