Rashid Khan becomes first bowler to take 700 T20 wickets
Rashid is also the leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals
Afghainstan captain Rashid Khan made history on Monday by becoming the first bowler to reach 700 wickets in T20 cricket.
The milestone came during Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup match against UAE in Delhi, when Rashid dismissed Muhammad Arfan in the 16th over of the UAE innings, which was also his final over of the match.
The Afghanistan captain entered the game with 699 wickets to his name and had been made to wait for the landmark.
He had claimed his 698th and 699th wickets against South Africa last week, then bowled 3.2 overs against UAE without success.
Rashid conceded 17 runs in the 20 balls he delivered before Arfan, attempting a reverse sweep, missed completely and dislodged his own stumps.
Despite reaching the historic figure, Rashid kept celebrations subdued, as Afghanistan still needed a win and favorable results in other matches to qualify for the Super Eights.
Rashid has long been ahead of his peers in T20 wicket-taking. Retired all-rounder Dwayne Bravo sits second on the overall list with 631 wickets, while among active players, Sunil Narine ranks third with 613 wickets.
Rashid is also the leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals, and the 700th wicket marked his 191st for Afghanistan. He is followed by New Zealand’s Tim Southee (164) and Ish Sodhi (162).
Most wickets in T20 cricket:
- Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) — 700*
- Dwayne Bravo (West Indies) — 631
- Sunil Narine (West Indies) — 613
- Imran Tahir (South Africa) — 572
- Andre Russell (West Indies) — 508
The milestone had been widely discussed in the lead-up to the World Cup. Last Tuesday, ahead of the match against South Africa, Rashid said, “700 wickets—whatever the achievement is, it will continue. I have not set a target to stop at 700. When I play for the national team in the World Cup, I give 100% effort. When the team needs it, I take the wicket.”
Although Rashid has not been at his absolute best since back surgery in 2023, he showed his class in Afghanistan’s recent series win over the West Indies, conceding just 51 runs in 12 overs while taking five wickets across three high-scoring matches.
In Afghanistan’s first World Cup game against New Zealand, he returned figures of 1/36, Afghanistan’s second-most economical bowling performance behind Mujeeb Ur Rahman as New Zealand chased down 182 with more than two overs remaining.
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