Afghan superstar surpasses all rivals to claim massive bowling milestone
New Delhi: History was made on Indian soil this Monday as Afghanistan’s captain, Rashid Khan, cemented his legacy as the greatest bowler in the shortest format of the game. Playing at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, the spin wizard became the first cricketer ever to reach the landmark of 700 wickets in T20 cricket.
This massive achievement came during a crucial group-stage match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Rashid has been a dominant force in franchise leagues globally, but achieving the Rashid Khan 700 T20 wickets milestone on the international stage adds a special layer to his career.
How the Record was Broken
The 27-year-old spinner entered the match on the verge of the record and didn't have to wait long to make history. During the 16th over of the first innings, Rashid dismissed UAE batter Muhammad Arfan. It was a unique dismissal, as Arfan was out hit-wicket while attempting a reverse sweep against the Afghan ace. Rashid finished his four-over spell conceding 24 runs and taking that one historic wicket.
Domination on the Leaderboard
Rashid is now miles ahead of his closest competitors. Retired West Indies legend Dwayne Bravo sits in second place with 631 wickets, while mystery spinner Sunil Narine is third with 613 scalps.
In T20 Internationals specifically, Rashid also leads the pack with 191 wickets. He is followed by New Zealand’s veteran pacer Tim Southee, who has 164 wickets, and Ish Sodhi with 162.
Match Highlights
Aside from Rashid's personal milestone, the Afghan bowling unit performed well. Azmatullah Omarzai was the pick of the bowlers, snapping up four wickets for just 15 runs. However, resilient knocks from Alishan Sharafu (40 runs) and Sohaib Khan (68 runs) helped the UAE post a competitive total of 160/9.
Afghanistan is currently chasing this target to keep their hopes alive for the Super 8 stage. Following this fixture, they are scheduled to face Canada in Chennai on Thursday.
WIth Agency Inputs and Image Source: ANI
