Here’s why Kagiso Rabada couldn’t take a hat-trick after dismissing three batsmen off three consecutive legal deliveries

Delhi Capitals (DC) emerged victorious in the 2nd Qualifier of the ongoing 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 17 runs at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi to confirm a berth against Mumbai Indians in the final of the tournament on November 10 in Dubai.

It was a comprehensive effort by both the bowling and batting unit of the Capitals. Winning the toss, Shreyas Iyer elected to bat first. The new opening duo of Shikhar Dhawan and Marcus Stoinis justified the decision of their captain by collecting an 86-run stand in 8 overs.

The franchise then went on to post a par total of 189 on the board in their 20 overs on the back of a scintillating knock of 78 runs off 50 deliveries by Dhawan. The all-rounder Stoinis and power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer also made notable cameos as they scored 38 off 27 and 42 off 22 respectively.

Chasing a target of 190, the Orange Army had an explosive start as Priyam Garg and David Warner smashed 12 off the first six deliveries by Ravichandran Ashwin. The skipper then handed the ball to Kagiso Rabada and he returned to his destructive self, after being wicket-less for the past three games. On his first delivery of the evening, the South African bowled a pin-point inswinging Yorker to dismiss the opposition captain Warner.

Kagiso Rabada misses a well-deserved hat-trick
In the middle overs, it was the all-rounder Marcus Stoinis who did the job for Capitals as he named three priced wickets of Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, and Kane Williamson to shift the momentum towards Delhi Capitals. However, SRH hopes of winning the game were alive with Rashid Khan and young Abdul Samad smashing the ball all over the park in the death overs.

This is when Rabada came into the attack and launched an assault on the opposition batters to script victory for his team. On the third ball of the 19th over, the pacer bowled an almost perfect yorker to Samad, which directly went into the hands of Kemo Paul, who was standing at long-off.

Rabada again weaved his magic on the next delivery as he dismissed Rashid, who was playing at 11 for 7 seven deliveries. With two back-to-back dismissals, the seamer was on a hat-trick ball, however, in an attempt of bowling a slower short ball, Rabada bowled a wide. Off the very next ball, the South African pacer howled a slower yorker to send Shreevats Goswami back to the pavilion on a duck.

Even after taking three wickets in three consecutive legal balls, Rabada couldn’t be the first bowler to take a hat-trick in IPL 2020 as the hat-trick rules suggest that:

Hat-tricks have to take place on three consecutive balls of a ball bowled in a match and not on three consecutive legitimate deliveries. (Rabada took three wickets in four deliveries)

Hat-trick can only take place inside a match (across innings in multi innings matches)

Hat-trick balls do not carry forward to super over as the records in super over are not considered

Hat-trick balls do not carry forward across matches.