Vidarbha’s Parth Rekhade had dismissed Ajinkya Rahane, India’s Test series-winning captain Down Under, off the first ball of his ninth over. Then he accounted for Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain at present, off the third ball.
But it was the wicket of Shivam Dube two balls later that meant the most for Rekhade, a rookie allrounder himself whose baby steps turned into a giant stride in a matter of minutes on day two of the Ranji Trophy semifinal on Tuesday.
“Obviously it meant the most special since it gave the over hat-trick,” said Rekhade.
“I have picked a few hat-tricks in local games but never while wearing a Vidarbha jersey. Ever since my age-group days, this is the first over hat-trick in inter-state cricket,” he added.
‘Over hat-trick’ is a term largely used on the streets, during extremely competitive gully cricket games, in nooks and corners of the country. Rekhade’s usage of the term symbolised his connection to his roots, which started with his parents deciding to enrol “a naughty and hyperactive child at a cricket academy when I was nine or 10 years old”.
ALSO READ | Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Kerala’s Azharuddeen hits first hundred in seven years to grind down Gujarat on Day 2
The 25-year-old made his debut during Vidarbha’s last league game against Hyderabad. With Harsh Dubey – the primary left-arm spinner – enjoying a dream season, more than a few eyebrows were raised when Rekhade was preferred ahead of veteran offspinner Akshay Wakhare for the big clash against Mumbai.
While he showed his confidence by batting for almost 90 minutes when promoted to No. 3 in a bid to take the shine off the ball on day one, his primary skill came to the fore in the ninth over of his first spell that read 13-5-13-3.
“They had a partnership and they are playing gritty cricket. My captain had clearly told me that I need to bowl a tight line from one end. Even when I got two wickets, I didn’t change my plan,” he said.
“If you see Mumbai players are gritty and they will go for runs, so it was important to keep bowling tight,” he added.
Rekhade knows that with more than half of the game – both in terms of wickets and time – still remaining, his job is far from done.