Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan made history in a T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates in Sharjah on Monday, September 1. The leg-spinner topped the wicket list of the New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee in the shortest type. The 26-year-old was also the quickest player to achieve the feat having only played 98 games.
After finishing with figures of 3/21 in his four overs, Khan achieved the milestone. To pass Southee, he got rid of Dhruv Parashar. Rahul Chopra and Ethan Dsouza were among his other wickets.
Most T20I wickets:
- Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) – 165 wickets in 98 matches
- Tim Southee (New Zealand) – 164 scalps in 126 matches
- Ish Sodhi (New Zealand) – 150 wickets in 126 matches
- Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) – 149 wickets in 129 matches
- Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) – 142 wickets in 113 matches
It’s important to note that Rashid Khan now owns the record for the most T20 wickets. In 488 games, the spin master has taken 661 wickets, including 158 in 136 IPL contests.
Most wickets in T20s
- Rashid Khan – 661* in 488 matches
- Dwayne Bravo – 631 in 582 games
- Sunil Narine – 591 in 560 games
- Imran Tahir – 559 in 438 games
- Shakib Al Hasan – 503 in 459 games
Rashid Khan leads Afghanistan to 38-run win over UAE in Tri-series clash
The United Arab Emirates lost to Afghanistan by 38-runs, but it was a fantastic all-around batting and bowling effort that helped the Afghan nation to triumph. They also began well in their preparation of the 2025 Asia Cup by winning their first Tri-series match.
Afghanistan scored 188/4 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Ibrahim Zadran scored the most runs with 63 from 40 balls, which included three boundaries and four sixes. Sediqullah Atal, who scored 54 off 40 deliveries, looked outstanding as well. For the second wicket, the pair put on an 84-run partnership. Saghir Khan and Muhammad Rohid Khan each took two wickets for the home team.
The UAE reacted by controlling 150/8 on the 20 overs they were allowed. The captain Muhammad Waseem batted valiantly with 67 off 37 balls; he hit four boundaries and six maximums. He was ably assisted by Rahul Chopra who had a 52 out of 35 undefeated score. Meanwhile in Afghanistan, the captain Rashid Khan took three wickets together with Sharafuddin Ashraf.
Rashid Khan and the company will play Pakistan in the Tri-series in Sharjah on Tuesday, September 2.
For the uninformed, Afghanistan is in Group B of the 2025 Asia Cup, along with Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. They will make their debut on Tuesday, September 9 in Abu Dhabi against Hong Kong.
