GT vs KKR: Rashid Khan spins the web as he takes hat-trick; netizens hail champion

Gujarat Titans' stand-in captain Rashid Khan on Sunday entered the record books as he picked up a hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 13 of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rashid bowled a fantastic spell in the 17th over of the second innings to dismiss three KKR batters on the trot. The Afghanistan sensation picked up the wickets of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Shardul Thakur to immediately put KKR on the back foot, and at a time when they were cruising comfortably on the back of brilliant knocks from Venkatesh Prasad and Nitish Rana. 

Rashid dismissed Russell on the first ball of the 17th over with a back-of-a-length googly. He bowled a length delivery on the middle and off stump to dismiss Narine, who gave an easy catch to the fielder near the boundary rope. For the hat-trick ball, Rashid bowled a googly on a length on the middle and off stump to trap Thakur LBW. Meanwhile, netizens are going berserk about Rashid's IPL hat trick on social media. This is also the first hat-trick of the ongoing IPL season. Here's a compilation of tweets praising Rashid's incredible bowling display. 

Also Read: IPL 2023: Rashid Khan Guides Gujarat Titans To Victory, Leaves Netizens Impressed | READ

𝐇𝐀𝐓-𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐝 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐧! 👏 👏

Andre Russell ✅
Sunil Narine ✅
Shardul Thakur ✅

We have our first hat-trick of the #TATAIPL 2023 & it's that man - @rashidkhan_19! 🙌 🙌

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/G8bESXjTyh#TATAIPL | #GTvKKR | @gujarat_titans pic.twitter.com/fJTg0yuVwu

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL)

#GTvCSK #GTvsKKR
The GREATEST spinner ever to play IPL GOAT Rashid Khan
Hat-trick for spin wizard pic.twitter.com/L27Ljg3nIA

— 👌⭐👑 (@superking1815) April 9, 2023

#GTvCSK #GTvsKKR
The GREATEST spinner ever to play IPL GOAT Rashid Khan
Hat-trick for spin wizard pic.twitter.com/L27Ljg3nIA

— 👌⭐👑 (@superking1815) April 9, 2023

Rashid khan is better bowler than this chucker. Agree or agree pic.twitter.com/efok64Y9r4

— M. (@IconicKohIi) April 9, 2023

Hat-trick for captain Rashid Khan , Afghan boy shining in IPL. #GTvsKKR pic.twitter.com/KxTrRc4Tln

— Sir BoiesX 🕯 (@BoiesX45) April 9, 2023

First Hattrick of IPL 2023. RASHID KHAN - The Magician. ❤️#GTvsKKR | #RashidKhanpic.twitter.com/vlBZxFX1O9

— Sexy Cricket Shots (@sexycricketshot) April 9, 2023

Also Read: IPL 2023: Rashid Khan Guides Gujarat Titans To Victory, Leaves Netizens Impressed | READ

Rinku Singh betters Rashid Khan's hat-trick?

Despite Rashid's effort, Gujarat Titans couldn't win the match all thanks to Rinku Singh's five consecutive sixes in the final over of KKR's innings. Yash Dayal was tasked with defending 29 balls off six balls, which he failed to do after Rinku smashed five sixes in a row to win the game for his side. Dayal conceded just 1 run on the first ball of the over and then went on to concede five consecutive sixes on the remaining deliveries. KKR won the nail-biting thriller by 3 wickets.      

Image: BCCI