What’s better than taking a hat-trick in a high-stakes T20 match that has been reduced to five overs?
Dismissing batsmen Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis in the span of three balls.
Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal took a memorable hat-trick in a five-over-a-side contest against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The match in Bengaluru on Tuesday was eventually called off due to intermittent rain but the six balls from Gopal were the highlight of the damp squib.
Royals had won the toss and opted to field but rain delayed the start of the game by three hours and thirty minutes.
After the rain, RCB skipper Kohli, who was on fire from ball one, smashed 25 off just 7 balls. The loyal fans who stayed back for hours in the hope of a game, managed to get their money’s worth with Kohli smashing Varun Aaron before de Villiers (10 off 4) got into the act as the first over went for 23 runs.
But then came the hat-trick hero who first had Kohli caught at long-on, then foxed de Villiers to mistime his shot to cover and then had Stoinis caught at mid-off, to complete his first hat-trick in the Indian Premier League.
Royals limited RCB to 62/7 in five overs and were in the fourth over of the chase when rain ended the match and any hope Kohli and Co had of a miracle playoffs spot.
Here’s a look at the memorable hat-trick, in case you missed it