Kings XI spinner rips the heart out of the Gujarat Lions' powerful batting line-up in Rajkot
Punjab's Patel claims first hat-trick of IPL9
Kings Xi Punjab spinner Axar Patel has claimed the first hat-trick of the 2016 Indian Premier League against Gujarat Lions on Sunday.
Patel dismissed Dinesh Karthik, Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja to become the 11th player to take a hat-trick in the tournament's nine-year history.
The left-arm orthodox bowler captured four wickets in five balls to rip apart the powerful Lions batting line-up in Rajkot.
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In his second over and the seventh of Gujarat's pursuit of 155, Patel had hard-hitting opener Dwayne Smith caught at long-off for a sedate 15 from 18 balls.
A single to Jadeja brought Karthik on strike and ignited the procession of wickets.
Patel bowled Karthik off the inside edge for two with an arm-ball from around the wicket that held its line.
The 22-year-old produced an exact replica the following delivery to castle Lions allrounder Dwayne Bravo, which produced Patel's version of the departing batsman's 'Champion' dance in celebration.
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Patel had to wait four overs for his chance at the hat-trick ball, and he didn't disappoint, extracting an outside edge from Jadeja's batt, held safely by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, to complete the rare feat.
The youngster finished with figures of 4-21 from four overs.
Patel's hat-trick is the first since Shane Watson's effort for suspended outfit Rajasthan Royals against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014.
In all, there have been 14 hat-tricks in the IPL, with leg-spinner Amit Mishra owning three (2008, 2011, 2013) and allrounder Yuvraj Singh two, both in the 2009 season.