UAE hat-trick hero Karthik Meiyappan hopes Chennai Super Kings were taking note

Karthik Meiyappan recently graduated from his finance studies at college in Dubai with distinction.

Which is something he will treasure for life, surely. And yet it is still only the second best memory he has made in recent times.

On a cold Tuesday night in Geelong, he took a hat-trick against the Asia Cup champions in a T20 World Cup match in Australia.

If he ever did dream such a thing could happen to him – and bear in mind he had never taken a hat-trick before at any level of the game – it might have panned out just the way it did under the lights of Kardinia Park Stadium.

First, he got Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who only recently flayed arguably the world’s best bowling attack all round Dubai International Stadium to lead Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup title.

Next, he had Charith Asalanka caught at the wicket by one of his closest mates, Vriitya Aravind.

Then he worked a delivery through the gap Sri Lanka’s captain, Dasun Shanaka, had left between his bat and pad to complete the set.

“First up against Rajapaksa, the leg-side side was long boundary for him,” Meiyappan said.

“I thought he would take me down over there because he was I think on five off five at that time. I started to push it across him, he tried to cover it but he sliced it. It went straight to Kashif Daud on the boundary.

That’s the Hat-trick!We can reveal that this wicket from Karthik Meiyappan is one of the moments that could be featured in your @0xFanCraze Crictos of the Game packs from Sri Lanka vs UAE. Grab your pack from https://t.co/8TpUHbQQaa to own iconic moments from every game. pic.twitter.com/1MV0Rz9AI9

“And then Asalanka walked in. That was a no brainer for me: I was going to bowl a wrong ’un straight up.

“Vriitya took an amazing catch. And when Dasun