Belgium pacer Khalid Ahmadi recorded a T20 hat-trick

The 27-year-old Belgian right-arm medium-fast bowler Khalid Ahmadi became the latest bowler to take a hat-trick in T20I cricket.

It was the third or last game of the three-match bilateral T20I series in Malta tour of Belgium at Waterloo on 12th June 2022. As the hosts Belgium already took the 2-0 lead in that series, it was a dead rubber game of the series. However, in that game, Khalid Ahmadi recorded a T20I hat-trick for the hosts.

Belgium won by 122 runs

After the hosts Belgium chose to bat first, they scored 162 runs before they were all out in 20 overs. While the opener Aziz Mohammad scored 35 runs, Saber Zahil scored 30 runs and Maqsood Ahmad scored 29 runs.  

Among the visiting bowlers, Bilal Muhammad had the bowling figures of 4-0-18-4.

Malta recorded the highest T20I total with 11 single-digit scores

In reply, Malta were bundled out for just 40 runs in 13.3 overs. While they had no double-digit scorers (including four ducks) as their highest scorers were Basil George (9) and Bilal Muhammad (9) along with nine extras, it was the highest T20I total with 11 single-digit scores.

The previous record was 38 by Cameroon against Mozambique at Rwanda on 3rd November 2021. In Men’s T20I history, it was the fifth time when all the 11 batters failed to manage the double-digit runs in a T20I innings.

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In his hat-trick, Khalid Ahmadi bowled all his batters

Khalid Ahmadi had incredible bowling figures of 4-1-5-4, including a hat-trick. In the first three deliveries of the fifth over of the second innings of the game, Ahmadi bowled the opener Imran Ameer (6), wicketkeeper-batter Aaftab Alam Khan (0) and Varun Thamotharam (0) to complete his hat-trick.

In his next over, Ahmadi took the wicket of opponent skipper Bikram Arora (1).

Key stats of Khalid Ahmadi’s T20I hat-trick

Second Belgium bowler to claim a T20I hat-trick. Last year, the left-arm spinner Sheraz Sheikh became the first Belgian to record a T20I hat-trick (vs Malta at Marsa on 9th July 2021).

• Second bowler to record a T20I hat-trick with all three bowled dismissals. Uganda left-arm pacer Dinesh Nakrani was the first bowler to record a T20I hat-trick with all three bowled dismissals (vs Seychelles at Kigali on 22nd October 2021).

• Fourth T20I hat-trick in this calendar year (2022).

T20I hat-tricks in 2022

(Jason Holder got four wickets in four successive deliveries)

• Khalid Ahmadi became the 29th different bowler to claim a T20I hat-trick. Only the former Sri Lankan right-arm pacer Lasith Malinga has recorded two T20I hat-tricks.

• It was the 30th hat-trick in T20I history.

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