J&K pacer runs riot with historic double hat-trick in Duleep Trophy clash against Riyan Parag's team, joins Kapil Dev in elite list

Making an unforgettable Duleep Trophy debut, Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi wreaked havoc with the ball as he took a stunning double hat-trick, four wickets in four balls, in the North Zone versus East Zone match in Bengaluru.

Auqib Nabi creates history with 4 wickets in 4 balls in Duleep Trophy

The 28-year-old bowler has been in exceptional form, having been the top pacer in the previous Ranji Trophy season. He also took a six-wicket haul in his last first-class match in February. Nabi's impressive performance continued against some of the country's best batters, as he claimed five wickets in just 13 balls after remaining wicketless for his first eight overs.

While Jammu and Kashmir's Auqib Nabi had a quiet start with the ball, his performance took a dramatic turn, ultimately helping the North Zone gain a big advantage. After scoring a quick 44 runs from 33 balls, Nabi struggled to make an impact with the ball until the East Zone's trail was just 183. He then clean-bowled North Zone's key batter, Virat Singh, to break the partnership.

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This dismissal was just the beginning of a historic spell. Nabi then trapped Manishi lbw on the very next ball, giving him two wickets in two deliveries and shifting the momentum firmly in the East Zone's favor. He then completed a hat-trick on his Duleep Trophy debut by bowling Mukhtar Hussain, collapsing the East Zone from 222/5 to 222/8 in just three balls.

Nabi wasn't done yet. On the first ball of his next over, he took the wicket of Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, becoming the first player in Duleep Trophy history to take a double hat-trick and only the fourth Indian to do so in first-class cricket. He didn't stop there, he went on to grab his fifth one in the form of Mohammed Shami to complete his fifer. His incredible spell led to the last five East Zone wickets falling for only eight runs, with Nabi taking all of them. This spectacular performance gave the North Zone a commanding 175-run lead.

Indian with 4 wickets in 4 balls in first-class cricket:

Shankar Saini, Delhi v Himachal Pradesh, 1988
Mohammad Mudhasir, Jammu & Kashmir v Rajasthan, 2018
Kulwant Khejroliya, Madhya Pradesh v Baroda, 2024
Auqib Nabi, North Zone v East Zone, Today