Wasn't aware that MS Dhoni's wicket was hat-trick ball - Parvinder Awana

Kings XI seamer Parvinder Awana

Kings XI Punjab medium pacer Parvinder Awana, who became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in this year’s Champions League T20 (CLT20) during their semi-final clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), said that he wasn’t aware of being on a hat-trick while bowling to MS Dhoni before adding that he enjoyed the wicket of Suresh Raina the most out of the lot.

Awana had dismissed Raina for 6 off the last ball of his third over before returning after a gap of 10 overs to take the wickets of Pawan Negi and Dhoni off the first two deliveries of his final over, thereby completing his hat-trick.

"I did exactly what I have been doing in the previous matches. My rhythm was good today and following my plan got me those wickets," he told clt20.com. "The plan was to not give them any room and bowl a full length. Since the wicket was slow, I was also putting in more effort by hitting the deck hard.

"When I got Dhoni bhai out, I didn't know it was the hat-trick ball. But I really enjoyed Raina bhai's wicket. He tends to hit that ball really well. I bowled length and hit it hard. It worked in my favour."

Awana, who finished with figures of 4/30 from his 4 overs, also finished the tournament as Kings XI’s leading wicket-taker, having taken nine wickets in five matches at an average of 18. The 28-year-old said that the team management had asked him to take on the role of a spearhead in Mitchell Johnson’s absence prior to the start of the tournament, and he is glad that he was able to play the role that was asked of him.

"At the beginning of the tournament itself Sanjay [Bangar] sir and Joe [Dawes] had told me that I would be playing the role of the spearhead," he said. "They asked me to take this opportunity and grow from it as a bowler. I had picked wickets for Kings XI previously as well, so it was the right step ahead for me with youngsters like Anureet [Singh] coming in."