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Auqib Nabi Joins Kapil Dev With Rare Hat-Trick In Duleep Trophy, Then Takes 4 In 4 Balls

Akshita Patel

Auqib Nabi produces dream spell in Duleep Trophy [Source: @IDCForum/X.com]Auqib Nabi produces dream spell in Duleep Trophy [Source: @IDCForum/X.com]

It was a day to cherish for Bengaluru as North Zone and Jammu & Kashmir pace bowler Auqib Nabi wrote his name in Indian domestic cricket history with a magical spell in the Duleep Trophy 2025. The 28-year-old speedster not only picked up a hat-trick but went one step further by taking four wickets in four balls.

Nabi’s hat-trick came against East Zone, where he dismissed Virat Singh, Manishi, and Mukhtar Hussain in quick succession to achieve the rare feat.

Auqib Nabi Finishes With A Five-Wicket-Haul

He then struck again on the very first ball of his next over to remove Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, completing four wickets in four deliveries. With that, he became only the fourth Indian bowler in First-Class cricket to achieve such a feat.

To make the occasion even more special, Auqib Nabi joined the legendary Kapil Dev in the elite list of bowlers who have taken hat-tricks in the Duleep Trophy.

Kapil had done it back in 1978-79 for the North Zone against the West Zone. The only other name on the list before Nabi’s heroics was Sairaj Bahutule, who took a hat-trick for West Zone against East Zone in 2001.

List of hat-tricks in Duleep Trophy history

Player
Match
Year
Kapil DevNorth Zone vs West Zone1978
Sairaj Bahutule West Zone vs East Zone2001
Auqib NabiNorth Zone vs East Zone2025

In the history of Indian First-Class cricket, only three others, SS Saini (1988-89), Mohammed Mudhasir (2018-19), and Kulwant Khejroliya (2023-24), had taken four wickets in four balls before Nabi joined the elite club.

Nabi’s spell didn’t stop there. He went on to dismiss veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, finishing with dream figures of 5 for 28. His fiery bowling not only rattled the East Zone’s batting unit but also wrote his name in the record books.

After Auqib Nabi’s spell, East Zone bundled North Zone for 230 runs with a 175-run lead in hand at the end of Day 2's play.