WATCH: When Lakshmipathy Balaji became the first hat-trick hero in IPL history

Former Indian fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji made a name for himself with his top-quality performances in the bowling department. The veteran player represented three franchises in the Indian Premier League, namely the Chennai Super Kings, the Kings XI Punjab, and the Kolkata Knight Riders. 

Such was the impact of Balaji that his team reached the Top 4 in almost every season. He played for CSK from 2008 to 2010. The Super Kings finished runner-up, semifinalists, and champions in the three seasons respectively. Next, he moved to the Kolkata Knight Riders, a franchise that had been struggling in the first three editions. 

Balaji played three seasons for KKR, and in those three seasons, they finished at the fourth place, champions, and at the seventh place. In 2014, the Kings XI Punjab signed him and for the first time, the Mohali-based franchise made it to the IPL final. 

The 39-year-old is currently the bowling coach of the Chennai Super Kings. Speaking of his association with CSK, the fast bowler had taken the first-ever hat-trick in the history of the Indian Premier League. He achieved this feat while bowling against the Kings XI Punjab in the 2008 season. 

This match happened in Chennai, with the home team batting first and posting a total of 181/4 on the board. Captain MS Dhoni and middle-order batsman Subramaniam Badrinath smacked half-centuries, while Sreesanth dismissed two CSK batsmen. 

Chasing 182, KXIP were in the right track to chase down the total. Shaun Marsh played a fine knock of 58 runs and Irfan Pathan backed him up to perfection with an 18-ball 40. However, Balaji had other plans. The pace bowler came in to bowl the final and dismissed Pathan, Piyush Chawla, and VRV Singh off three consecutive deliveries to give CSK a win by 18 runs. 

Watch the video of the hat-trick here.