Indore, Madhya Pradesh, June 23: The action in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 has been a delight for fans, with the tournament producing several memorable performances. While batters have grabbed attention with some explosive knocks and massive totals, the bowlers have made their mark in spectacular fashion as well, with three hattricks already lighting up the competition and adding an extra layer of excitement to the season.
Rewa Jaguars pacer Naveen Chouhan became the first bowler to achieve the feat this season during a clash against Gwalior Cheetahs. Chouhan dismissed Ishan Afridi, Akash Singh and Saumy Pandey off successive deliveries, finishing with outstanding figures of 3/11. His late burst helped restrict the Cheetahs to 215/9 and played a key role in Rewa’s successful defence of 239.
Reflecting on the achievement, Naveen said, “Taking the first hattrick of the season is a very special feeling. Every bowler dreams of moments like these. Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about the hattrick at that stage, my focus was only on executing the plan.”
The second hattrick came courtesy of Ujjain Falcons’ Aryan Pandey against Bundelkhand Bulls. Pandey trapped Goutam Joshi in front of the stumps before clean bowling Omkarnath Singh with the next delivery. On the hattrick ball, Harshit Parsai miscued an attempted big shot and Darshan Rathore completed a screamer near the boundary.
Pandey ended with impressive figures of 4/16 in 2.5 overs as the Falcons secured a four-wicket victory.
Talking about the landmark moment, Aryan said, “It’s always a wonderful feeling to take a hattrick, and it’s definitely a moment I’ll remember for a long time. But what makes it even more satisfying is that it came in a winning cause.”
The third hattrick of the tournament came the very next day and belonged to Royal Nimar Eagles spinner Kumar Kartikeya, who produced a stunning spell against Bhopal Leopards in a rain-curtailed encounter. Kartikeya dismissed Pawan Nirwani, Pranjul Puri and Anurag Malviya off consecutive deliveries and eventually finished with six wickets as the Leopards were bowled out for 107. The Eagles went on to register a commanding eight-wicket victory.
Reflecting on the performance, Kartikeya said, “I’m extremely happy to have achieved the hattrick, but my primary focus throughout was on bowling the right ball and sticking to the team’s plans. Even when the umpire initially turned down the appeal, I was quite confident because I felt the batter was out. We trusted our instincts, took the review and fortunately it went our way.”
