Axar Patel's IPL hat-trick in Rajkot

On 1 May 2016, at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot, Axar Patel's IPL hat-trick in Rajkot broke a chase that Gujarat Lions should have closed. Kings XI Punjab made 154. Lions finished 131 for 9. Punjab won by 23 runs, and Axar was Player of the Match.

Key figures

Bowling: 4 overs, 0 maidens, 21 runs, 4 wickets, economy 5.25. Four of those wickets came in five balls. The hat-trick itself was split: two wickets at the end of one over, and the third on the first ball of his next over.

Match Overview

This was IPL 2016 Match 28, a day-night game. Gujarat Lions were the table-toppers and had asked Punjab to bat. Punjab were bowled out for 154, so Lions needed 155. Mohit Sharma had already bowled Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina. The chase was slow, and Axar came on in the seventh over.

Axar Patel's IPL hat-trick in Rajkot

The third ball of that over, 6.3, was full on middle. Dwayne Smith, on 15, lofted it and Gurkeerat Singh caught him at long-off. Lions were 38 for 3. The next ball was not a wicket. Two balls later the over finished the top order.

At 6.5 an arm ball beat Dinesh Karthik. He played for turn, inside-edged, and the ball hit leg stump. He was out for 2. At 6.6 Dwayne Bravo, on 0, played on: the ball skidded, he prodded, and an inside edge rolled back onto the stumps. Lions were 39 for 5. Those two wickets were the first two balls of the hat-trick. Bravo was bowled, not caught.

Axar had to wait for the hat-trick ball. He returned for the 11th over. The first delivery, logged as 10.1, slid on outside off from round the stumps. Ravindra Jadeja, on 11, aimed a late cut and was given out caught behind by Wriddhiman Saha. That was the third wicket in three consecutive balls, and the first hat-trick of IPL 2016. It was also Axar's first T20 hat-trick. Lions were 57 for 6.

What the five balls did

Smith, then a non-wicket ball, then Karthik, Bravo, and Jadeja. Four wickets in five balls he bowled, with the hat-trick starting on the second of those wickets. A hat-trick is three wickets in a row. The Smith catch sits just before that row, which is why the spell is both a split hat-trick and a five-ball burst.

Context and impact

Punjab were defending a modest 154 against the side at the top of the table. After 57 for 6 the chase never recovered. James Faulkner made 32 and Ishan Kishan 27, and Lions closed on 131 for 9. The 23-run win was only Punjab's second of the season. The public card does not list a speed for any of the four balls, so this piece does not invent one.

Scorecard

Scorecard: IPL 2016 Match 28, Gujarat Lions vs Kings XI Punjab, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium (SCA Stadium), Rajkot, 1 May 2016 (ESPNcricinfo and the IPL scorecard).

Frequently Asked Questions

What were Axar Patel's figures in the Rajkot hat-trick match? Four overs, no maidens, 21 runs, four wickets, economy 5.25. He was Player of the Match.

Who was out in the hat-trick? Dinesh Karthik, bowled, then Dwayne Bravo, bowled, then Ravindra Jadeja, caught by Wriddhiman Saha. The third wicket was the first ball of Axar's next over.

Was Dwayne Smith part of the hat-trick? No. He was caught by Gurkeerat Singh at long-off for 15, two balls before Karthik. He is the extra wicket in the five-ball burst.

Who won the match? Kings XI Punjab made 154 and Gujarat Lions made 131 for 9. Punjab won by 23 runs. The target had been 155.

Where and when was the hat-trick? IPL 2016 Match 28, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot, on 1 May 2016. It was the first hat-trick of that IPL season.