Presenting bowlers with hat-tricks in Duleep Trophy

Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi made history by taking four wickets in as many balls during the 2025 Duleep Trophy quarter-final clash between North Zone and East Zone in Bengaluru’s BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground. The right-arm medium pacer achieved this feat while playing for North Zone.

He dismissed the likes of Virat Singh, Manishi, Mukhtar Hussain and Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal in a stunning display of bowling prowess. In what was a magical effort, Nabi’s incredible spell started with the dismissal of Virat on the last ball of the 53rd over. He then dismissed Manishi on the very next delivery, before beating Mukhtar Hussain for pace to complete his hat-trick.

Continuing his phenomenal run, he struck again on the first ball of his next over, dismissing Jaiswal and taking four wickets in as many balls.

The pacer finished with figures worth 5/28 from 10.1 overs as East Zone perished for 230 runs in 56.1 overs with Day 2 coming to an end. This was after North Zone managed 405 in the 1st innings. Nabi contributed with the bat earlier, scoring 44 off just 33 balls. He smashed 5 fours and 2 sixes.

Nabi made his First-Class debut for Jammu and Kashmir in 2020 and has since been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. As per ESPNcricinfo, he owns 95 wickets at an average of 21-plus with nine five-wicket hauls in red-ball cricket.

Third bowler to get a hat-trick in the competition

As per Wisden, Nabi has become the 3rd bowler in the competition’s history to claim a hat-trick. Former Indian legend Kapil Dev was the first to achieve the feat during the 1979 Duleep Trophy final. He managed figures worth 7/65 against the West Zone.

Thereafter, in 2001, leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule managed a hat-trick, helping West Zone earn an impressive innings and 363 runs against East Zone. He picked 6/49 from 12.5 overs in East Zone’s 2nd innings, helping his side bowling the opponent out for 161.

And now, Nabi has become the 3rd bowler to do so.