Sam Curran becomes 2nd England bowler to take T20I hat-trick

Sam Curran takes T20I hat trick [Source: X]

You cannot keep Sam Curran out of the game, and the English all-rounder proved his worth once again in the second T20I against Sri Lanka. In the penultimate over of the Sri Lankan innings, Curran bagged three wickets in a row and created history in Pallekele.

He became just the second England bowler to take a hat trick in T20Is, with Chris Jordan being the first person to do so. He took the wickets of Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, and Matheesha Pathirana to etch his name in the history books.

Curran was a tad expensive in a rain-curtailed game, but he bagged wickets towards the end and finished with figures of 3 for 38 in three overs as Sri Lanka were bundled out for just 133.

How Curran delivered match-winning spell vs Sri Lanka

Before his final over, Curran was a bit expensive, but the final over changed the course of the innings. He started out with the wicket of Dasun Shanaka as the Sri Lankan batter miscued his slog and was caught out.

His next victim was Theekshana as the batter mistimed the shot and was caught at long-on. The final nail in the coffin was dismissing Pathirana with an inch-perfect yorker as the batter had no chance of bringing his bat down on time.

Bowlers to take hat-trick vs Sri Lanka

He became the second England bowler to grab a T20I hat-trick, and became the first English bowler to take one against Sri Lanka.

The first bowler to achieve this milestone against the Lankan Lions was Jacob Oram, the Kiwi all-rounder who bagged the feat in 2009. Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Hasnain, the Pakistan bowling duo were the next in line to attain the T20I hat-trick milestone against them.

An unlikely name, Kartik Meiyappan from the UAE also occupies the spot in the list as the leg-break bowler did the unthinkable against Sri Lanka, a couple of years ago.

Before Curran, Lockie Ferguson was the last bowler to achieve the milestone against Sri Lanka.

Sam Curran’s importance in England squad

Curran was included in the England T20 World Cup squad and he justified the move by taking a hat-trick against Sri Lanka. The English all-rounder is important for England’s quest to grab their third T20 World title and there is a reason for it.

He is a brilliant all-rounder and is one of the best in the world. Curran can easily give England four overs in a T20I game, and can also strike hard with the bat. For England, he has been used as a floater by the management as he tends to bat up the order.

Moreover, last year, his batting strike rate was 167, showcasing his ability to play aggressive T20 brand of cricket. The contest against Sri Lanka showcased his ability to take wickets in death overs, and this is one area where Curran is the best in his team.