Cricket News: Who is UAE’s Hat-trick taking leg-spinner?

Karthik Meiyappen’s amazing hat-trick for United Arab Emirates overshadowed their 79-run defeat to Sri Lanka on day three of the T20 World Cup in Australia.

After Sri Lanka’s strong start, the 22-year-old leg-spinner got UAE back in the contest with Sri Lanka going from 117-2 to 117-5 within three balls.

Meiyappen, who is without a first-class match to his name, has made an impressive start to his career thus far.

Despite being born in Chennai, India, the spinner represents UAE in international cricket after moving to live in Dubai permanently in 2012.

A big future looks to lie ahead for Meiyappen after already making a strong start to his young international career. Playing for the associate member nation, he has taken 18 wickets in 12 T20 international matches at an average of 15.66 and an economy of just over seven.

His ODI record also isn’t bad. 10 wickets in eight matches averaging 31 a piece but the more stand out stat however being an economy of 4.64, almost unheard of for a leg-spinner.

The 22-year-old’s hat-trick came when he dismissed Sri Lanka’s number four- Bhanuka Rajapaksa for just five caught at deep cover. His second wicket of the match was a googly not picked by Charith Asalanka whose edge made for a comfortable catch for Vriitya Aravind behind the stumps.

Meiyappen bowled a googly once again when the Sri Lanka captain walked to the crease and it beat Dasun Shanaka’s defences, clean bowled.

The hat-trick helped the leg-spinner to figures of 3-19 from four overs while Sri Lanka went on to make 152-8 in their 20 overs. UAE were later bowled out for just 73 but the record breaking hat-trick will be remembered as the story of the match.

Meiyappen’s feat is just the fifth in T20 World Cup history and the first ever for UAE in international cricket.