WEB DESK: Afghanistan’s premier spinner Rashid Khan reached an extraordinary milestone in T20 cricket on Monday, becoming the first bowler ever to secure 700 wickets in the format.
This historic achievement occurred during Afghanistan’s clash against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the ICC T20 World Cup.
Rashid’s feat places him atop the T20 bowling hierarchy, surpassing iconic players like West Indies’ Dwayne Bravo, who stands second with 631 wickets, and compatriot Sunil Narine, who ranks third with 613 wickets in the format.
In T20 Internationals specifically, Rashid Khan also leads as the highest wicket-taker globally. He has now claimed an impressive 191 wickets, moving ahead of New Zealand’s Tim Southee (164 wickets) and fellow Kiwi spinner Ish Sodhi (162 wickets).
Rashid’s memorable accomplishment unfolded as Afghanistan secured their maiden victory in the ongoing tournament, defeating UAE by five wickets in their 28th group stage match held at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Chasing a target of 160 runs, Afghanistan prevailed on the second ball of the final over. Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with a commanding 53 runs off 41 deliveries, providing stability after Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s early dismissal on the second ball of the innings. Azmatullah Omarzai played a crucial unbeaten inning of 40 runs, while Darwish Abdul Rasooli added a valuable 33 to the total.
For the UAE, Junaid Siddique and Muhammad Arfan were noteworthy performers with the ball, claiming two wickets each while conceding 23 and 30 runs, respectively.
This victory has undoubtedly boosted Afghanistan’s morale as they prepare for their remaining matches in the competition.
