Saqib Mahmood creates history with triple-wicket maiden against India in T20Is

England fast bowler Saqib Mahmood etched his name into the record books by becoming the first player in men’s T20 internationals to claim three wickets in a single over without conceding a run. The historic feat occurred during the fourth T20I against India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday.

Mahmood, playing his first match of the series, struck in devastating fashion in his opening over. He dismissed Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma on the first two deliveries before claiming the prized wicket of India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, on the final ball of the over. His exceptional spell gave England a dream start as India found themselves reeling at 12/3 early in the innings.

England, having lost the toss in the previous three matches, finally won it this time, with captain Jos Buttler opting to field first. India made a few changes to their playing XI, bringing in Shivam Dube for Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh for Mohammed Shami, and Rinku Singh for Dhruv Jurel. England, on the other hand, replaced Mark Wood with Mahmood and included Jacob Bethell in place of Jamie Smith.

Despite the early setback caused by Mahmood’s brilliance, India managed to recover and post a competitive total of 181/9. Hardik Pandya played a crucial role in the comeback, smashing 53 off 30 balls with four fours and four sixes, bringing up his half-century in the 18th over.

With this victory, India now leads the five-match series 3-1, having already secured the series win. The final T20I is set to take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 2.