THIS teammate of MS Dhoni picks up first hat-trick of 2025, he is…
We are just one week into the year 2025 and we have already witnessed the first hat-trick in ODI cricketer. The achievement belongs to MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings teammate Maheesh Theekshana from Sri Lanka.
The Lankan off-spinner, became the seventh bowler from his country to pick up an ODI hat-trick in the third game against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Wednesday. Theekshana dismissed Mitchell Santner and Nathan Smith off the last two balls of his 7th over and then Matt Henry holed out off the first ball of his 8th over to give the CSK offie his first-ever ODI hat-trick.
Theekshana, who replaced Lahiru Kumara in the side for the third ODI, was the pick of the Lankan bowlers with figures of 4/44 in 8 overs as New Zealand piled up 255 for 9 in 37 overs in a rain-hit second ODI match. Apart from Theekshana, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Farveez Maharoof, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga and Shehan Madhushanka are the other Sri Lankans to claim an ODI hat-trick.
Hattrick taken by Sri Lanka bowlers in ODIs
C Vaas vs ZIM, 2001
C Vaas vs BAN, 2003
L Malinga vs SA, 2007
L Malinga vs KEN, 2011
L Malinga vs AUS, 2011
T Perera vs PAK, 2012
W Hasranga vs ZIM, 2017
S Madhushanka vs BAN, 2018
Maheesh Theekshana vs NZ, 2025**#NZvSL #NZvsSL— Vishwesh Gaur (@iumvishwesh) January 8, 2025
Vaas has two ODI hat-tricks to his name while the legendary Lasith Malinga claimed three in his ODI career.
Theekshana’s fine spell managed to restrict the Black Caps in the third game after they got off to a flying start with all-rounder Rachin Ravindra smashing 79 off 63 balls with 1 six and 9 fours and Mark Chapman chipping in with 62 off 52 balls with 2 sixes and 5 fours. Ravindra and Chapman had powered New Zealand to 143 in less than 20 overs.
But Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga turned on the screws to restrict the home team. Leg-spinner Hasaranga claimed 2/39.
Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl on Wednesday in the third ODI against New Zealand. That match has been reduced to 37 overs per innings because of rain. The toss finally was made 2-1/2 hours late at 4 p.m. while the umpires waited for rain to stop and the outfield to dry.
Under the new playing conditions, two bowlers can bowl eight overs and three can bowl seven overs with shortened power plays. Tom Latham rejoined the New Zealand linuep after missing the first match of the series, taking the place of wicketkeeper-batter Mitchell Hay. New Zealand won the opening match in Wellington by nine wickets.