Romario Shepherd scalped a hat-trick in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026
This is his second hat-trick in T20Is
Shepherd picked a five-wicket haul to help West Indies open campaign with a win
Romario Shepherd entered ICC T20 World Cup record books with a sensational spell of pace bowling during the West Indies' campaign opener against Scotland at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Saturday (February 7, 2026).
Defending a total of 182/5, the two-time champions wrap up Scotland for 147 all out in 18.5 overs for a comfortable 35-run win in their Group C match.
And one of the architects of the win was Shepherd, the 31-year-old bowling all-rounder from Georgetown, Guyana. He took just three deliveries to tick the wicket column -- cleaning up McMullen's wickets in the 5th over, then returned with a five-wicket haul.
How Romario Shepherd Claimed His Hat-Trick
After conceding 15 runs in his second over and being given a rest from bowling duty, the right-arm pacer returned for his third in the 17th over of the innings. And he accounted for four wickets in five deliveries -- those of Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, and Oliver Davidson for a hat-trick, then Safyaan Sharif off the last delivery of the over, reducing the minnows to 133/9 in 17 overs.
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Soon, former captain Jason Holder claimed the wicket of Mark Watt in the penultimate over, with Shepherd fittingly taking the catch -- a straightforward one at short third. Holder, in the process, became only the sixth bowler to complete a century of wickets in men's T20 Internationals, after Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Tim Southee (New Zealand), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan), and Jasprit Bumrah (India).
Earlier, Shepherd fellow Guyanese Shimron Hetmyer lit up the tournament with a swashbuckling knock of 64 off 36 balls, featuring six sixes and a couple of boundaries, then a sensational catch.
Romario Shepherd Claims Second Hat-Trick In T20I Career
Shepherd etched his name in the history books, becoming only the third West Indies bowler to claim a hat-trick in T20Is, after his own against Bangladesh and Jason Holder's against England. He is also the first West Indies bowler to achieve the feat in the ICC T20 World Cup.
He thus became the first West Indian and ninth overall to take a hat-trick in the T20 World Cup.
Bowlers Who Have Taken A Hat-Trick In Men's T20 World Cup
Brett Lee (Australia) vs Bangladesh in 2007
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) vs England in 2021
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) vs South Africa in 2021
Curtis Campher (Ireland) vs Netherlands in 2021
Josh Little (Ireland) vs New Zealand in 2022
Karthik Meiyappan (UAE) vs Sri Lanka in 2022
Pat Cummins (Australia) vs Afghanistan in 2024
Pat Cummins (Australia) vs Bangladesh in 2024
Chris Jordan (England) vs USA in 2024
Romario Shepherd (West Indies) vs Scotland in 2026
ICC T20 World Cup 2026: When Will West Indies And Scotland Play Their Next Match?
Up next, West Indies will take on England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday, February 11.
Scotland will take on European rivals and first-timers Italy on Monday, February 9 at the Eden Gardens.
