A fast bowler taking triplets of wickets off triplet balls is truly a rare sight. It is indeed a combination of some skill and some luck to achieve this rare phenomenon called a hat-trick.
Nevertheless, there have existed a few Sri Lankan pace bowlers who have had the luck of hitting the bull’s eye in ODI cricket through hat-tricks. Two of them have done it multiple times, thus, it really speaks to their remarkable proficiency with the white ball.
So let’s highlight the Sri Lankan bowlers who have managed to take hat-tricks in ODI cricket.
Sri Lanka Bowlers to Take Hat-Trick
| No. | Bowler | Year(s) of Hat-trick | Opponent(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ | Chaminda Vaas | 2001, 2003 | Zimbabwe, Bangladesh |
| 2️⃣ | Lasith Malinga | 2007, 2011 (2) | South Africa, Kenya, Australia |
| 3️⃣ | Farveez Maharoof | 2010 | India |
| 4️⃣ | Thisara Perera | 2012 | Pakistan |
| 5️⃣ | Wanindu Hasaranga | 2017 | Zimbabwe |
| 6️⃣ | Shehan Madushanka | 2018 | Bangladesh |
| 7️⃣ | Maheesh Theekshana | 2023 | New Zealand |
1. Chaminda Vaas
Chaminda Vaas outstanding bowling against Zimbabwe during the first match of the triangular series in 2001 turned into a record-breaking one. After opting to bowl first, Vaas made the ground extremely difficult for the batters.
The left-arm fast bowler was the first to bag an ODI hat-trick for Sri Lanka. At the beginning of the 11th over, the Zimbabwe team was at 26 with the loss of three wickets and Vaas had been the wicket-taker for all.
With the end of the over, the Zimbabweans were in further trouble, this time at 27 with the loss of six players! Vaas got rid of Stuart Carlisle, Craig Wishart, and Tatenda Taibu on successive balls in the process making Sri Lanka’s first hat-trick.
Up to that point, he had claimed two more victims in his next two overs taking his tally to eight for 19, which is still the best in this format. His phenomenal bowling exhibition limited the Zimbabweans to a total of 38 runs, which the Sri Lankans chased down in 4.2 overs.
Vaas achieved his second hat-trick, the one in the 2003 World Cup, 14 months later. And his second was even more memorable. It was because he got three batsmen out on the first three balls of the match.
The resplendent pace-bowler did his wonder against Bangladesh, sending Hannan Sarkar, Mohammad Ashraful, and Ehsanul Haque back on the first three deliveries. He took three more wickets, and that helped wrap up Bangladesh for 124, which the Sri Lankans chased without losing a single wicket.
2. Lasith Malinga
A rare hat-trick is what Lasith Malinga gets for his four years of service, joining Vaas on this list. He made the first international double hat-trick by dismissing four South African batters with four balls.
The bowler with the slingy action did this during the 2007 ODI World Cup. The South African team was just a mere four runs away from getting the victory but Malinga turned the tables.
He cleaned up Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall with the last two balls of the 45th over and then before the end of the 47th over, it was the turn of Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini to be dismissed. Malinga’s late heroics came into the limelight, but the match ended with a wicket to spare for South Africa.
His second and third hat-tricks were recorded in the very same year and at the same ground. The right-arm fast bowler got rid of Kenya’s last batsmen on his way to a hat-trick while bowling two overs in the 2011 World Cup.
Malinga trapped Mishra on the last ball of the 42nd over, while he was second with two scalps, Peter Ongondo and Shem Ngoche, in the 44th over. Three balls later, he took the last wicket to wrap up Kenya for 142 runs.
A hat-trick against the Australians was Malinga’s third ODI. This time too, he was after the tail lot, sending batters with his yorker and low full tosses.
Malinga bowled out Mitchell Johnson, trapped John Hastings LBW, and finally took Xavier Doherty’s wicket in the 46th over to complete his hat-trick.
3. Farveez Maharoof
Malinga’s hat-tricks were happening in the background but Farveez Maharoof had already gotten his name on the list. The retired fast bowler from Sri Lanka took three wickets in three balls against India in the 2010 Asia Cup.
India found themselves in a difficult position at 189 for five after 38 overs, having lost MS Dhoni due to a run out on the very last ball of the over. Maharoof then made matters worse by taking out Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, and Zaheer Khan on the first three balls of the 39th over.
Sudden fall of wickets turned the tide of the match and India was all out for 209, which was chased down by Sri Lanka without much effort.
4. Thisara Perera
Thisara Perera after being a part of Dan Christian’s hat-trick in March 2012, grabbed his own feat three months later. In an ODI against Pakistan, Sri Lanka were defending 244 runs, the visitors were batting at 176 for four.
Then Mahela Jayawardene introduced Perera into the attack and he got down to business immediately. The right-arm pacer clean bowled Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the 41st over, thus ending the Pakistanis’ hopes of chasing the target.
Perera then took four more deliveries to dispose of the whole Pakistani side for 199 and thus, Sri Lanka emerged victorious by 44 runs.
5. Wanindu Hasaranga
Currently Wanindu Hasaranga is arguably the best spinner of Sri Lanka. The leg spinner stunned everyone in his ODI debut in 2017 with a hat-trick.
In a match between Galle and Zimbabwe Hasaranga ended the innings of the visitors on 155 with his three late scalps. He fooled Malcolm Waller, Donald Tiripano, and Tendai Chatara with his arm ball and googly in three consecutive balls to be recorded in history in his very first match.
6. Shehan Madushanka
After five months, Shehan Madushanka mimicked Hasaranga’s accomplishment. The right-arm pacer was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s victory in the 2018 triangular series final by playing his first ODI match against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh were at a low point with six wickets down, standing at 141 in the 40th over and one batter out. At that moment, with the very last two deliveries of the over, Madushanka claimed Mixrafe Mortaza and Rubel Hossain as victims which made the score 141 for eight.
Madushanka’s hat-trick was accomplished on the first ball of the 42nd over with Mahmudullah being caught out thus Bangladesh’s chase was over at 142 runs. Interestingly, this was a one-match ODI career for Madushanka.
7. Maheesh Theekshana
Maheesh Theekshana has officially become the latest member to this exclusive club. The off-spinner picked up his hat-trick at the end of the first innings in a rain-shortened game against New Zealand.
It was a 37-over game, and the Kiwis were on their way at the rate of five wickets for 247 runs in the 35th over. Theekshana then, with the last two balls, dismissed Mitchell Santner and Nathan Smith by getting them caught.
He made a comeback for the last over of the innings and with a single delivery, took Matt Henry. Hence with this, Theekshana became merely the second Sri Lankan spinner to perform this feat in ODIs.
The off-spinner’s hat-trick, however, was occur in a losing situation as Sri Lanka could not meet New Zealand’s target fixed at 256 runs.
