Pat Cummins said "I had no idea I had taken a hat-trick"

Pat Cummins achieved the first hat-trick of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the match against Bangladesh, marking the seventh hat-trick in T20 World Cup history. Cummins became the second Australian bowler to achieve this feat in a World Cup, following Brett Lee, and coincidentally, both were against Bangladesh. Cummins was unaware that he was on the verge of a hat-trick until he took Towhid Hridoy's wicket.

Out of the seven hat-tricks in T20 World Cup history, two have been against Bangladesh. On both occasions, the Bangladeshi batters were overwhelmed by Australian pacers. In today's match in Antigua, Cummins dismissed Mahmudullah Riyad, Sheikh Mahedi, and Towhid Hridoy on three consecutive deliveries. He took Riyad and Mahedi's wickets with the last two balls of his third over and then dismissed Hridoy with the first ball of the final over.

Cummins' name is now etched in the World Cup record books, thanks to his pace. His hat-trick was the first in this World Cup. Ultimately, Bangladesh's innings ended at 140 runs. When asked if he could have celebrated more, Cummins said in the press conference,

"Actually, I didn't know I had taken a hat-trick. I saw it on the screen during the previous over. Then I completely forgot about it while bowling the next over. I think Stoinis ran over to celebrate. Yes, it felt good."

Australia began the Super Eight stage with a dominant victory over Bangladesh. They will face India and Afghanistan in the remaining matches. This victory has given Australia a significant boost in the run rate, propelling them to the top, ahead of India. Happy with the win, Cummins stated,

"We probably did everything we could. I think today’s performance was very tidy. Getting 2 points along with a good run rate is great. So far, we have used 12 or 13 players who have played their roles, and they can draw confidence from that. I think we are in a good position."