Arshdeep Singh becomes first Indian bowler to bowl hat-trick of no-balls in T20Is

Team India's left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh did not have an ideal start to his spell during the second T20I of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka in Pune on Thursday, January 5.

Arshdeep overstepped on three consecutive occasions in the second over of the match, becoming the first Indian bowler to bowl a hat-trick of no-balls in T20Is. The seamer's final ball of the over was called a no-ball by the umpire.

The hooter went off on the following two deliveries as well. To make matters worse, Sri Lankan opener Kusal Mendis capitalized on the free-hits, hitting four and six, respectively.

Arshdeep conceded 19 runs from the nine-ball over and was taken off the attack after that by skipper Hardik Pandya.

Three back-to-back no-ball from Arshdeep Singh 🤯

📸: Disney+Hotstar

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Notably, Arshdeep did not feature in the T20I series opener between the two nations. The youngster was not available for selection for the fixture due to illness.

While he had a dismal start to the second T20I, he will be aiming to make amends in his remaining overs.

Arshdeep Singh has bowled the most no-balls in T20Is

With his hat-trick of no-balls, Arshdeep Singh registered yet another unwanted record, becoming the bowler with the most number of no-balls in T20Is.

Arshdeep now has 12 no-balls to his name in the shortest format of the game. He surpassed Pakistani fast bowler Hasan Ali, who has 11 no-balls to his name. Keemo Paul of the West Indies has also overstepped 11 times in T20Is and is third in the list.

Most no-balls bowled in T20I career:

12 - Arshdeep Singh🇮🇳
11 - Hasan Ali 🇵🇰
11 - Keemo Paul🏝️
11 - Oshane Thomas🏝️
10 - Richard Ngarava🇿🇼

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Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh has impressed many with his bowling exploits in white-ball cricket. He is expected to be a mainstay in Team India's limited-overs teams this year, and a good season will ensure him a spot in the Men in Blue's squad for the crucial 50-over World Cup.

He has bagged 33 wickets in 21 T20Is at a decent economy rate of 8.17. While he has also played three ODIs, he is yet to claim his maiden wicket in the format.