Auqib Nabi created history in the ongoing Duleep Trophy quarter-final, playing for North Zone against East Zone in Bengaluru. He not only took a hat-trick but also claimed four wickets in four balls — becoming the first player to do so in the history of the Duleep Trophy.
Nabi ran through the lower order of East Zone. In the fourth ball of the 53rd over, he dismissed Virat Singh. Then, in the next two deliveries, he removed Manishi and Mukhtar Hussain. In the first ball of his next over, he sent Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal back. He also picked up the wicket of Mohammed Shami, completing a five-wicket haul. Nabi finished with figures of 5/28 in 10.1 overs.
Courtesy of his spell, East Zone were bundled out for just 230 in their first innings, giving North Zone a 175-run lead. By the end of Day 3, North Zone extended their advantage to 563 runs with eight wickets still in hand.
With this hat-trick, Nabi joined an elite list of players who have taken a hat-trick in the Duleep Trophy. The list already includes the legendary Kapil Dev and Sairaj Bahutule.
Auqib Nabi for North Zone vs East Zone, 2025
Kapil Dev for North Zone vs West Zone, 1978
Sairaj Bahutule for West Zone vs East Zone, 2001
Nabi, 28, represents Jammu and Kashmir in domestic cricket. He made his debut in 2018 in a List A match against Haryana in Chennai. Since then, he has played 29 List A matches, taking 42 wickets. In First-Class cricket, he has taken 90 wickets in 29 matches. He has also featured in 27 T20s, claiming 28 wickets at an economy rate of 7.83.
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