Mohammed Shami's hat‑trick powers Siliguri Strikers to win

Veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami delivered a powerful all-round performance in the Bengal T20 League on Saturday, claiming a hat-trick and hitting a six off his first ball faced. His efforts led the Siliguri Strikers to a 24-run victory over the Rarh Tigers at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Playing for the Strikers, Shami first contributed with the bat, arriving at the crease with only two balls remaining in the innings. He dispatched the first delivery he faced from Sukhmeet Singh for a six, finishing unbeaten on eight runs from two balls. His primary impact came with the ball while defending a total of 208. With the Rarh Tigers at 156 for 5 in the 16th over and still in contention, Shami took three wickets in three consecutive deliveries. He dismissed Shahbaz Ahmed, Rohit Kumar, and Dipanjan Banerjee to complete the hat-trick, effectively ending the chase. He finished with figures of 4 wickets for 27 runs from his four overs.

The Strikers' imposing total was built on a blistering 86 runs from 46 balls by Vishal Bhati, which included six sixes and five fours. He received support from captain Sudip Chatterjee (32), Karan Lal (39), and Pramod Chandila (36 not out). For the Tigers,...