Pakistan’s Shadab Khan found form in his first match for Colombo Strikers in the Lanka Premier League 2024 season. The leg-spinner picked his maiden T20 hat-trick and finished with figures of 4 for 22 against Kandy Falcons at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele on Tuesday, July 2.
Shadab Khan became only the second bowler after Wanindu Hasaranga to pick a hat-trick in the history of the Lanka Premier League.
Shadab Khan won the Player of the Match award in his first match of LPL 2024 season as his spell sealed Colombo Strikers a 51-run win. Shadab Khan also chipped in with the bat, hitting 17-ball 20 in Colombo’s total of 198.
Shadab Khan ended Kandy Falcons’ hopes of chasing down the target as he picked the key wickets of Wanindu Hasaranga, Agha Salman and Pawan Rathnayake in successive deliveries in the 15th over. Kandy were 140 for 4 in the 14th over, but Binura Fernando struck a big blow, removing Angelo Mathews for 25 (20 balls).
Shadab Khan then came into the attack and got the big wicket of Wanindu to hurt Kandy further. He got the first of his three wickets in the over with a dragged-down leg-spinner. However, he got his Pakistan teammate Agha Salman’s wicket with a well-directed delivery that skidded onto the stumps. Shadab completed his hat-trick with a googly that had Rathnayake trapped in front
Kandy Falcons were bundled out for 147 in 15.5 overs, thanks to Shadab’s brilliance. The leg-spinner posted a photo on Instagram, thanking the almighty for his return to form.
“I don’t know, I only know that it is my first one,” Shadab said, adding he was not aware of the LPL milestone.
It was a much-needed boost in confidence for Shadab Khan, who has been struggling to get going for Pakistan at the highest level. Shadab was not able to pick up a single wicket in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. The leg-spinner was not even used by Babar Azam against India in their big-ticket contest in New York on June 9. Shadab has gone 7 T20I games without a wicket for Pakistan in 2024.
