Rashid sent the cricket world into a spin with a magical hat-trick, the fifth in BBL history and the first by a Striker, in Wednesday’s thrilling clash with the Sixers at Adelaide Oval.
The ICC’s No.1 ranked T20I bowler in the world, Rashid dismissed James Vince caught behind and had Jack Edwards trapped in front LBW with the final two deliveries of the 11th over.
He then clean bowled Silk to open the 13th over with a perfectly placed wrong’un which swept in from outside off-stump through Silk’s defences to collect middle stump.
“I wasn’t expecting to get the hat-trick on this wicket. It wasn’t spinning that much,” Rashid said post-match.
“After getting the first two I had a think about what should I bowl and where I should bowl.
“Before my mark I just said ‘let’s go’, I just needed to pitch it in the right area and thank God I got a wicket.
“I think that was the best ball I have bowled since I’ve been here in the BBL.
“It was the perfect length and perfect area to bowl it and get the wicket. You can only dream for that ball as a hat-trick ball.”
Incredibly, it’s Rashid’s third hat-trick in T20 cricket.
The lethal leg-spinner claimed the first in Caribbean Premier League history back in 2017 then became the first player to take four wickets in four balls in an international T20 fixture with his double hat-trick against Ireland in February of last year.
Rashid, just 21 years old, believes he’s “missed nine or 10 hat-tricks” throughout his career already.
But Rashid’s brilliance wasn’t enough for the Strikers to steal victory from the Sixers, who snuck home by two wickets to hand Adelaide it’s third loss in a row.
Rashid said the squad was hungry to bounce back against reigning champions the Melbourne Renegades on Sunday.
“We’ve lost three close games. We have a home game next against the Renegades who will be under pressure after losing seven games,” he said.
“We have to bring our best. We have to bring the energy we had in the first three games. Still, we’ve had very close games it’s not like we’ve lost one-sided games. We’ve brought the games to the last overs but just couldn’t finish it off.
“We just need to work on those areas we’re struggling with in our bowling and batting and come back stronger.”
Tickets to Sunday’s match are now available.