Chetan Sharma was the first Indian to take a hat-trick in international cricket, achieving the feat against New Zealand during the 1987 Cricket World Cup in Nagpur. On October 31, 1987, the Indian fast bowler dismissed Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ewen Chatfield with three consecutive deliveries, becoming the first Indian and the first bowler to take a hat-trick in World Cup history.
The achievement came during an important group-stage match of the Reliance World Cup. Sharma's accuracy and ability to attack the stumps produced three successive bowled dismissals, giving the Indian team a memorable bowling passage.
His milestone was the beginning of a long list of Indian international hat-tricks across Test, ODI and T20I cricket.
Chetan Sharma's Historic 1987 World Cup Hat-Trick
India faced New Zealand at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur on October 31, 1987. During New Zealand's innings, Chetan Sharma struck with three successive deliveries.
The sequence was:
Delivery | Batter | Dismissal |
First | Ken Rutherford | Bowled |
Second | Ian Smith | Bowled |
Third | Ewen Chatfield | Bowled |
All three wickets came through the bowler hitting the stumps. Sharma therefore did not need a catch or other fielding intervention to complete the hat-trick.
The achievement had two layers of historical significance. Sharma became the first Indian to take an international hat-trick, while the feat also became the first hat-trick in Cricket World Cup history.
Match Details
Date: October 31, 1987
Venue: VCA Ground, Nagpur, India
Format: ODI
Opponent: New Zealand
Hat-trick wickets: Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ewen Chatfield
Dismissal method: All three batters bowled
The match also featured an important batting milestone for India, with Sunil Gavaskar scoring his maiden ODI century during the run chase.
Who Were the First Indians to Take Hat-Tricks in Each Format?
Chetan Sharma established the milestone in ODI cricket, but India had to wait several more years for its first Test and T20I hat-tricks.
Format | First Indian Bowler | Year | Opponent | Venue |
Test | Harbhajan Singh | 2001 | Australia | Kolkata |
ODI | Chetan Sharma | 1987 | New Zealand | Nagpur |
T20I | Deepak Chahar | 2019 | Bangladesh | Nagpur |
These three achievements cover India's first hat-tricks in the three major international formats.
Harbhajan Singh: India's First Test Hat-Trick
India's first Test hat-trick came in one of the country's most memorable Test matches.
During the 2001 Kolkata Test against Australia at Eden Gardens, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh dismissed Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne with three consecutive deliveries.
The hat-trick came during Australia's first innings and formed part of Harbhajan's influential performance in a famous Test series between India and Australia.
It also made Harbhajan the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in Test cricket, 14 years after Chetan Sharma had achieved India's first international hat-trick in the ODI format.
Deepak Chahar: India's First T20I Hat-Trick
It took until 2019 for an Indian men's bowler to complete the country's first T20I hat-trick.
Deepak Chahar achieved the feat against Bangladesh in Nagpur in November 2019. He took three wickets in consecutive deliveries and finished the match with remarkable bowling figures of 6 for 7.
Chahar's performance also became notable for the sequence in which the hat-trick was completed across the end of one over and the beginning of the next. His figures set a T20I bowling record at the time.
Complete List of India's International Hat-Tricks
Indian bowlers have produced hat-tricks across all three major international formats. The milestones include several of India's most recognizable bowlers.
Test Cricket
Harbhajan Singh – 2001 vs Australia
Harbhajan dismissed Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne during the Kolkata Test.
Irfan Pathan – 2006 vs Pakistan
Pathan took his hat-trick in the first over of the Test in Karachi, dismissing Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf.
Jasprit Bumrah – 2019 vs West Indies
Bumrah completed a Test hat-trick in Kingston, Jamaica, dismissing Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase.
ODI Cricket
Chetan Sharma – 1987 vs New Zealand
The first Indian international hat-trick came during the World Cup in Nagpur.
Kapil Dev – 1991 vs Sri Lanka
India's legendary all-rounder completed an ODI hat-trick against Sri Lanka in Kolkata during the Asia Cup.
Kuldeep Yadav – 2017 vs Australia
Kuldeep dismissed Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins in Kolkata.
Mohammed Shami – 2019 vs Afghanistan
Shami completed a World Cup hat-trick in Southampton by dismissing Mohammad Nabi, Aftab Alam and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the final over.
Kuldeep Yadav – 2019 vs West Indies
Kuldeep claimed his second ODI hat-trick against West Indies in Visakhapatnam, dismissing Shai Hope, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph.
That made Kuldeep the only Indian bowler to record two international hat-tricks.
T20 Internationals
Deepak Chahar – 2019 vs Bangladesh
Chahar remains the Indian men's bowler listed with the country's first T20I hat-trick, completing the achievement in Nagpur.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first Indian to take a hat-trick in international cricket?
Chetan Sharma was the first Indian to take an international hat-trick. He achieved it against New Zealand in Nagpur during the 1987 Cricket World Cup.
Who took the first World Cup hat-trick?
Chetan Sharma took the first hat-trick in Cricket World Cup history, dismissing Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ewen Chatfield in three consecutive deliveries in 1987.
Which Indian bowler has taken the most international hat-tricks?
Kuldeep Yadav is the only Indian bowler to have taken two international hat-tricks. Both came in ODI cricket, against Australia in 2017 and West Indies in 2019.
Who took India's first Test hat-trick?
Harbhajan Singh became the first Indian to take a Test hat-trick when he dismissed Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne in Kolkata in 2001.
Who took India's first T20I hat-trick?
Deepak Chahar took India's first T20I hat-trick against Bangladesh in Nagpur in 2019.
Can a hat-trick be completed across two overs?
Yes. A hat-trick requires three consecutive wickets from three consecutive deliveries by the same bowler. Those deliveries can span the end of one over and the beginning of another.
Chetan Sharma's Place in India's Hat-Trick History
Chetan Sharma's 1987 achievement occupies a unique place in Indian cricket history. He was not only the first Indian to take an international hat-trick, but also the first bowler to achieve the feat at a Cricket World Cup.
His three consecutive bowled dismissals against New Zealand created a landmark moment for Indian bowling. More than a decade later, Harbhajan Singh added India's first Test hat-trick, while Deepak Chahar completed the country's first T20I hat-trick in 2019.
The sequence of milestones shows how India's hat-trick history developed across formats: Chetan Sharma in ODIs, Harbhajan Singh in Tests and Deepak Chahar in T20Is. Kuldeep Yadav later added another distinction by becoming the only Indian bowler with two international hat-tricks.
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