22 Years Ago Today: Chaminda Vaas' Historic World Cup Hat-Trick

On February 14, 2003, Sri Lankan pace legend Chaminda Vaas etched his name in cricket history with an extraordinary feat in the ICC World Cup. Facing Bangladesh in Pietermaritzburg, Vaas claimed a hat-trick with the first three deliveries of the match - a World Cup first. He dismissed Hannan Sarkar, Mohammad Ashraful, and Ehsanul Haque in succession, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 0/3. Vaas didn't stop there, adding a fourth wicket in the same over. His final figures of 6/25 propelled Sri Lanka to a dominant 10-wicket victory, showcasing the devastating potential of new-ball bowling on the sport's biggest stage.

 

Sources: ESPNcricinfo, ICC YouTube, SportsTiger