[Watch] When Mohammed Shami's hat-trick shattered Afghanistan's hopes of a famous World Cup win
Mohammed Shami scripted history at the ODI World Cup in England on this day (June 22) in 2019, by only becoming the second Indian bowler after Chetan Sharma to claim a hat-trick in the tournament. The right-arm pacer helped his team avoid a potential scare after Afghanistan almost pulled off a run chase to dent India's hopes.
Following exemplary batting displays against heavyweights Pakistan and Australia earlier in the tournament, Team India faltered after electing to bat first in Southampton. The Men in Blue could only post 224/8 in the first innings and the Gulbadin Naib-led side were placed comfortable at 106/2 at one stage.
While India fought back with wickets, Afghanistan were still in the game with 16 runs required off the final over and the well settled Mohammad Nabi still at the crease. Shami was assigned to bowl the final over after Bumrah only conceded five runs in the penultimate over.
The final over began with a boundary, but Shami responded with the key wicket of Nabi in the third delivery to get India closer to victory. The pacer bowled full and straight, targetting the stumps to dismiss Aftab Alam and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman as well to mark a memorable hattrick.
Here is how India turned things around culminating with Mohammed Shami's heroics:
A World Cup Hat-trick
#OnThisDay in 2019, @MdShami11 took his maiden ODI & World Cup Hat-trick.
Nabi c Pandya b Shami
Alam b Shami
Ur Rahman b Shami
India won the match by 11 runs.
https://t.co/I22BftcKCJ
He eventually finished with figures of 4-40 off 9.5 overs, while Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his crucial spell that yielded figures of 2/39.
Mohammed Shami took 14 wickets in four matches at the 2019 World Cup
The veteran pacer has an incredible record in ODI World Cups. In India's 2015 campaign, he made his debut in style by claiming figures of 4/35 against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval and proceeded to take 13 more wickets.
In the 2019 edition, Shami was not a constant presence in the playing XI and played only four matches, with the win over Afghanistan being the first. He followed it up with a brilliant four-wicket haul against the West Indies and claimed a five-wicket haul in the loss to England as well.
Following an expensive and wicket-less spell against Bangladesh, he was dropped for India's final league stage match against Sri Lanka and did not find a place in the semi-final defeat against New Zealand as well.
He is expected to play a central role in Team India's attempt to win ICC silverware at the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil. He recently won the Purple Cap after claiming 28 wickets in 17 matches in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL).