How Many Wickets Constitute a Double Hat-Trick in Cricket?

Cricket is a game that is full of uncommon and exciting events. Since it is towering sixes to nail-biting finishes, fans live on the drama. However, none of the spectacular accomplishments leave bowlers and spectators more excited than a hat-trick. But what becomes of a bowler who will go a step further? This is when the phrase double hat-trick comes in.

Fans often ask: How many wickets constitute a double hat-trick? The solution is easy but remarkable, four wickets in four successive legal deliveries by the same bowler. We can dissect it, examine well-known examples, and learn why such an accomplishment is so uncommon.

Quick Answer: Double Hat-Trick Defined

When a bowler dismisses four batters in four consecutive legal deliveries, it is a double hat-trick.

Dismissals to the credit of the bowler only (bowled, lbw, caught, stumped, hit wicket).
Non-bowler dismissals such as run-outs do not count.
Deliveries should be legal, no wides and no-balls.

So, how many wickets constitute a double hat-trick? Four balls to four wickets.

Hat-Trick vs Double Hat-Trick

Hat-trick: 3 wickets in 3 consecutive balls.
Double hat-trick: 4 wickets in 4 consecutive balls.

Example:

Hat-trick: Ball 1 (bowled), Ball 2 (lbw), Ball 3 (caught).
Double hat-trick: Add Ball 4 (bowled/stumped/etc.).

This is what renders the double hat-trick a continuation of the traditional hat-trick only much rarer.

Official Rules & Scorer Notes

Interestingly, the MCC Laws of Cricket do not formally stipulate the meaning of double hat-trick. It is rather a cricketing slang, but it is generally acceptable across forms.

Legal deliveries: No extras.
Countable dismissals Bowled, lbw, caught, stumped, hit wicket.
Uncounted dismissals: Run-outs, time out, obstructing the field.
Overs: Are allowed to extend over overs (e.g. final ball of one over + first three balls of the next).

Famous International Double Hat-Tricks

Here’s a table of some iconic double hat-tricks in international cricket:

Year	Bowler	Country	Format	Opponent	Wicket Sequence	Match Result
2007	Lasith Malinga	Sri Lanka	ODI	South Africa	Bowled, Bowled, Caught, Bowled	SA won by 1 wicket
2019	Rashid Khan	Afghanistan	T20I	Ireland	lbw, Bowled, Bowled, lbw	Afg won by 32 runs
2021	Curtis Campher	Ireland	T20I	Netherlands	lbw, Caught, Bowled, lbw	Ireland won by 7 wickets
2024	Andre Russell	West Indies	T20I	England	Caught, lbw, Bowled, Caught	WI won by 5 runs

Each of these moments electrified fans and cemented the bowler’s place in cricketing folklore.

Domestic & Franchise Cricket Examples

IPL: Sunil Narine and Amit Mishra narrowly missed an official double hat-trick.
BBL & PSL: Shaun Tait and Mohammad Sami had almost hit the mark.
Club cricket: According to CricHeroes records, there are numerous four-in-four performances in the grassroots.

Format-Wise Breakdown

Tests: No known double hat-tricks, but there have been close calls.
ODIs: Lasith Malinga (2007) is the only one to do it.
T20Is: There are several confirmed cases Rashid Khan, Curtis Campher, Andre Russell.
Domestic T20s: More common because of aggressive batting styles.

Ball-by-Ball Case Studies

Lasith Malinga vs South Africa (2007)

Bowled Shaun Pollock.
Bowled Andrew Hall.
Caught Jacques Kallis.
Bowled Makhaya Ntini.

Rashid Khan vs Ireland (2019)

lbw Kevin O’Brien.
Bowled George Dockrell.
Bowled Shane Getkate.
lbw Stuart Thompson.

Curtis Campher vs Netherlands (2021)

lbw Colin Ackermann.
Caught Scott Edwards.
Bowled Logan van Beek.
lbw Fred Klaassen.

Andre Russell vs England (2024)

Caught Phil Salt.
lbw Harry Brook.
Bowled Moeen Ali.
Caught Chris Jordan.

Read Also: ArCarrierPoint.net Review: Is Safe and Trustworthy

Related Rare Feats

Feat	Balls	Explanation	Occurrence
Hat-trick	3 in 3	Three wickets in three balls	Common
Double hat-trick	4 in 4	Four wickets in four balls	Very rare
Five-in-five	5 in 5	Five wickets in five balls	Mostly club level
Perfect over	6 in 6	Six wickets in six balls	Youth/club matches

Probability & Rarity

The possibility of a bowler getting four wickets in four balls is, statistically, very small, only once in 160,000 balls is calculated.

Risk predisposing factors:

Swing-friendly conditions.
New batters at the crease.
Stressful moments in T20 cricket.

Fan Talk & Language

The fans usually use vivid words to describe the feat:

Four balls, four wickets. char ball char wicket.
“Four in four.”
The drama is normally enhanced by commentary, and the moment is memorable.

Final Word

So, how many wickets constitute a double hat-trick? It is always four wickets in four legal deliveries always.

It is one of the most uncommon accomplishments in cricket that is commemorated at all levels and formats. It could be the thunderbolts of Malinga, the spin magic of Rashid and the pace power of Russell, but the double hat-trick is still an exciting flashback of the unpredictability of cricket.

Whenever you hear the word again, you will understand perfectly what it is and why it is so special.