Which player has played in the 2007 and the 2026 T20 World Cup?

Had anyone taken a hat-trick in the T20 World Cup before Romario Shepherd? asked Richard Roopnarine from Guyana
Romario Shepherd's hat-trick came in the 17th over of Scotland's reply against West Indies on the first day of this year's tournament, in Kolkata on February 7. It was the tenth hat-trick in a men's T20 World Cup. The first was by Brett Lee, for Australia against Bangladesh in Cape Town in the first such event, in 2007. Another Australian, Pat Cummins, took two separate hat-tricks in last year's tournament in the West Indies.

Ireland's Curtis Campher went one better against Netherlands in Abu Dhabi in 2021, taking four wickets in four balls.

The only hat-trick in the women's T20 World Cup was taken by England's Anya Shrubsole against South Africa in St Lucia in 2018. There have been several hat-tricks in other women's T20Is.

How often have Zimbabwe beaten Australia in an official international? asked Kenneth Maxwell from South Africa
Zimbabwe's remarkably comfortable victory over Australia in their group game at the T20 World Cup in Colombo last week was only their fifth win against them in 40 men's internationals (one no-result).

The first came during the 1983 World Cup, when Zimbabwe won by 13 runs at Trent Bridge. Their captain - and the Player of the Match - was the future England coach Duncan Fletcher, who followed an innings of 69 not out with 4 for 42.

Zimbabwe did not beat Australia again until the first T20 World Cup, in 2007, hauling in a target of 139 in Cape Town. More recently they have won ODIs in Harare in 2014 and in Townsville in 2022. Both times the winning margin was three wickets.

Australia's women have never met Zimbabwe in an official international.

Varun Chakravarthy has played 39 T20Is for India, but has scored only three runs so far! Is that a record? asked Manish Thaduri from Singapore
Rather surprisingly perhaps, it's not a record as I write - but that could change, because three men near the top of this unusual list are all playing in this World Cup. You're right that, after India's match against Pakistan, Varun Chakravarty had only scored three runs in his 39 T20Is. But the Pakistan legspinner Abrar Ahmed has managed only four runs in 37 matches, while at the top of the list, the Namibian seamer Ben Shikongo has played 41 T20Is - and scored just one run. Phon Bunthean of Cambodia has so far played 15 T20Is but scored no runs at all.

There's a very clear leader among the women: the Pakistan slow left-armer Anam Amin has played 65 T20Is so far - but scored only three runs. The tall England seamer Lauren Bell has three runs from 36 matches.

I noticed that Godfrey Lawrence, who died last year, took 28 wickets in the only Test series in which he played. Was this a record for a one-off, someone who never played again? asked Michael Devlin from England
The fast bowler Godfrey "Goofy" Lawrence, who died last year aged 92, took 28 wickets at 18.28 in South Africa's series against New Zealand in 1961-62. He turned in creditable performances for Rhodesia for many years, and it's something of a mystery why he did not play more Tests. For a start, he would probably have done very well in the underpowered side that toured England in 1960. Peter Pollock, who also made his debut in that 1961-62 series, was a fan: "I have seldom taken the field with a swing and seam bowler of such extraordinary talent," he said. And New Zealand's captain John Reid wrote: "Movement away from the bat is the best ball that can be bowled in cricket, and his ability to mix it with a ball screaming back from outside the off stump has a batsman constantly watching him."

However, there is someone who did better than Lawrence in his only Test series: the Scottish-born Hampshire allrounder Alex Kennedy played only five times for England, all in South Africa in 1922-23 - but made it count, finishing with 31 wickets at 19.32.

Who played in the first T20 World Cup and also in the current one? asked Keith Davies from England
On the face of it the answer to this should be no one - Rohit Sharma played in the first nine editions of the men's T20 World Cup, but not in this one. But actually there was a player at the current tournament who also took part in the first event: Brendan Taylor played in South Africa in 2007, aged 21, and hit 60 not out as Zimbabwe pulled off a shock victory over Australia in Cape Town.

Taylor reappeared this time, in Zimbabwe's first match, against Oman in Colombo last week, three days after his 40th birthday. Sadly, he injured his leg late in that match, and had to retire hurt after scoring 31. He has taken no further part in the tournament, so missed another win over Australia, in Colombo (more details above). This was the fifth T20 World Cup tournament Taylor played in.