Afghanistan’s star leg-spinner Rashid Khan has etched his name into the history books by becoming the first bowler in the world to claim 700 wickets in T20 cricket.
Rashid reached the unprecedented milestone after picking up a crucial wicket against the UAE, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest T20 bowlers of all time.
The 27-year-old spinner has been a dominant force in franchise leagues and international cricket alike, consistently troubling batters with his sharp leg-breaks and deceptive googlies.
With this achievement, Rashid moves well clear at the top of the all-time T20 wicket-takers list. Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo sits second with 631 wickets, a tally Rashid had already surpassed in February 2025. Another West Indies spinner, Sunil Narine, occupies third place with 613 wickets.
Rashid’s dominance is equally evident in the international arena. He is currently the leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals with 191 scalps. New Zealand pacer Tim Southee follows with 164 wickets, while fellow Kiwi spinner Ish Sodhi has taken 162.
The historic feat comes amid a competitive T20 World Cup campaign. In another dramatic encounter, England sealed their place in the Super Eight stage after defeating Italy in a thrilling contest, keeping their title hopes alive.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan may consider possible changes to their playing XI for the upcoming match against Namibia as they look to maintain momentum in the tournament. With Rashid in sublime form and rewriting records, Afghanistan will be confident of making a deep run in the competition.
Afghanistan beat UAE
Chasing the target against the UAE, Afghanistan opened with Rahmanullah Gurbuz and Ibrahim Zadran. Rahmanullah Gurbuz was dismissed for a duck, caught by Sohaib Khan off Junaid Siddiqui’s bowling.
Gulbadin Naib scored 13 runs before being caught by Mohammad Irfan, while Siddiqullah Atal made 16 runs and was caught by Mohammad Jawadullah.
Ibrahim Zadran contributed 53 runs off 41 balls, including 6 fours and a six, before being caught by Mohammad Wasim off Mohammad Irfan.
Darvish Rasooli added 33 runs off 23 balls, with a six and three fours, before being bowled by Junaid Siddiqui. Afghanistan reached the target in 19.2 overs, losing five wickets.
Azmatullah Umarzai remained unbeaten on 40 runs, and Mohammad Nabi was not out on 3 runs.
Earlier, Afghanistan won the toss and elected to field first. For the United Arab Emirates, Ali Shan Sharif scored 40 runs, and Shoaib Khan contributed 68 runs.
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