Kingston – Australia's star fast bowler Pat Cummins created history in the Super Eight match against Afghanistan by taking a hat-trick of wickets for the second consecutive T20 match. Cummins' remarkable performance saw him dismiss Rashid Khan, Karim Jannat, and Gulbadin Naib, making him the first bowler to achieve two hat-tricks in T20 World Cup history.
Cummins dismissed Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan on the last ball of the 18th over. Bowling a slightly short, good-length delivery, Cummins lured Rashid into hitting the ball straight into the hands of the long-on fielder. Returning to bowl the final over, Cummins completed his hat-trick by dismissing Karim Jannat and Gulbadin Naib with consecutive deliveries, cementing his place in the record books.
In the match, Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first. Afghanistan, batting first, got off to a strong start with Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring 60 runs and Ibrahim Zadran adding a solid half-century of 51 runs. The duo shared a 118-run partnership for the first wicket. However, after Gurbaz's dismissal, Afghanistan lost wickets rapidly, ending their innings at 148 for 6 in 20 overs.
In response, Australia's batting lineup struggled against Afghanistan's bowlers, managing only 127 runs in 19.2 overs. Glenn Maxwell was the top scorer with 59 runs off 41 balls, including 6 fours and 3 sixes. Despite Maxwell's efforts, no other batsman could hold the crease, leading to Australia's defeat by 21 runs.
This match marked Afghanistan's first-ever victory over Australia in international cricket, led by their captain Rashid Khan.
