On This Day: Chaminda Vaas took hat-trick against Bangladesh in 2003 ODI World Cup

On February 14, 2003, former Sri Lanka pacer Chaminda Vaas grabbed a hat-trick against Bangladesh in the ODI World Cup 2003 match played at the City Oval and guided his side to a convincing 10-wicket triumph. On the opening ball of the match, the speedster trapped Hannan Sarkar and delivered the first breakthrough to his side. He continued his onslaught for the next two deliveries and hunted Mohammad Ashraful and Ehsanul Hoque.

The three consecutive scalps helped Vaas enter the record books as the first Sri Lanka bowler to pick up a World Cup hat-trick. He is also the only player to bag three wickets on the first deliveries of ODI matches. Vaas’s spectacular achievement also helped him become the first bowler to take two hat-tricks for Sri Lanka.

After dismissing the three Bangla batters in a row, Vaas didn’t relent as he sent Sanuar Hussain back to the pavilion in the same over. Bangladesh managed to score only 124 in 31.1 overs, riding on the fighting knocks Alok Kapali’s 32 off 38 and Mashrafe Morataza’s 28 off 23. Vaas bowled 9.1 overs and claimed 6/25 figures. After picking up the four wickets in the opening over, he outclassed Al Sahariar and Mashrafe Mortaza. Vaas’s magnificent bowling emboldened Sri Lanka openers Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya to wreak havoc on Bangladesh bowlers and pull off the target in just 21.1 overs. The speedster also became the recipient of the player of the match award. 

Lasith Malinga shattered Vaas’s feat of picking up most World Cup hat-tricks for Sri Lanka 

Besides Vaas, Lasith Malinga is the only Sri Lanka bowler to pick up an ODI World Cup hat-trick. Malinga claimed four wickets in consecutive balls during the 2007 World Cup between Sri Lanka and South Africa held in Guyana. The speedster got rid of Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, and Makhaya Ntini to pull off the feat.  

Malinga is also the only Sri Lanka player to bag two ODI World Cup hat-tricks as he repeated his South Africa performance in the 2011 World Cup game against Kenya at the R Premadasa Stadium. This time, he outsmarted Tanmay Mishra, Peter Ongondo, and Shem Ongoche.