Shadab Khan lights up LPL 2024 with a hat-trick

Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan made his Lanka Premier League (LPL) debut memorable by claiming a hat-trick in the third fixture of the ongoing fifth edition.

Shadab, who is representing Colombo Strikers in LPL 2024, decimated Kandy Falcons with ruthless bowling.

The all-rounder returned magnificent bowling figures of 4/22 including a hat-trick.

He achieved the feat in the 15th over of the Falcons’ innings and turned the game on its head as the home side slipped from 140/5 to 147 all out.

Shadab Khan dismissed Falcons’ captain and set-batter Wanindu Hasaranga on the fourth delivery of his last over.

Hasaranga looked to go for a big shot against Shadab but mistimed it towards the long-on fielder Muhammad Waseem, who took a great running catch diving forward.

He then dismissed compatriot Agha Salman on the next delivery with a perfectly executed leg-break that breached the batter’s defence and hit the timber.

Coming out to face the hat-trick ball was Pavan Rathnayake, who cautiously tried to work the ball towards the onside but failed to judge the googly and was trapped in front.

Following the game, Khan took to Instagram where he posted his batting and bowling figures.

“God is great,” he wrote in the caption.

Following Shadab Khan’s hat-trick, Dunith Wellalage, who was equally exceptional, took two wickets in the next over to take the Strikers home.

Both Shadab and Wellalage bagged four wickets each while Glenn Phillips and Binura Fernando chipped in with a wicket apiece as Colombo Strikers booked Kandy Falcons on 147 to kick off their LPL 2024 with a victory.

Put into bat first, the Strikers registered a massive total of 198/7 on the board, courtesy of a combined effort from their batters.

Leading the way was wicketkeeper batter Sadeera Samarawickrama, who played a blazing knock of 48, coming off on 26 balls with the help of seven fours and a six.

Thisara Perera (38 off 30) and Shadab Khan (20 off 17) played anchoring knocks before Chamika Karunaratne bolstered the total with late fireworks.

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