Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan became the first player to pick up 700 T20 wickets during Afghanistan’s group-stage match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi
on Monday.
He took one wicket in the match, conceding 24 runs in his four overs, as Afghanistan restricted the UAE to 160/9 in 20 overs after asking them to bat first.
The 27-year-old Afghanistan captain reached this milestone in the 16th over of the first innings when he dismissed Muhammad Arfan via hit-wicket. Arfan scored zero runs off two balls before his dismissal while attempting a reverse sweep against the ace spinner.
Rashid is significantly ahead of other cricketers in the shortest format in terms of wickets. Retired West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is in second place with 631 wickets. Among active players, Sunil Narine is behind Rashid with 613 wickets, placing him third overall.
Rashid is also the leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals with 191 wickets. Retired New Zealand seamer Tim Southee holds second place with 164 wickets, followed by his compatriot Ish Sodhi with 162 wickets. Sodhi is part of the Black Caps in this tournament.
“700 wickets, whatever the achievement is, it will continue. I have not kept any target in my mind that I will take 700 wickets and stop – no, when I play for the national team at the World Cup, then I make 100% effort. And when the team requires it, I take the wicket,” Rashid had said when he was asked about the milestone ahead of Afghanistan’s match against South Africa.
Rashid achieved this milestone after a period of waiting, having taken his 698th and 699th wickets against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad last week.
First To Milestone Wicket
| Milestone | Match Date | Bowler | Matches Taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 wickets | Jun 10, 2010 | Dirk Nannes | 70 |
| 200 wickets | Dec 30, 2012 | Dirk Nannes | 166 |
| 300 wickets | Apr 11, 2016 | Dwayne Bravo | 292 |
| 400 wickets | Dec 21, 2017 | Dwayne Bravo | 365 |
| 500 wickets | Aug 26, 2020 | Dwayne Bravo | 459 |
| 600 wickets | Aug 11, 2022 | Dwayne Bravo | 545 |
| 700 wickets | Feb 16, 2026 | Rashid Khan | 518 |
Afghanistan Beat UAE
Azmatullah Omarzai showcased an impressive all-round performance to lead Afghanistan to a five-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates.
Omarzai first delivered an excellent bowling display, taking 4 wickets for 15 runs to help limit UAE to 160 for 9.
He then played a crucial unbeaten innings, scoring 40 runs, after Ibrahim Zadran’s 53, to secure Afghanistan’s first win in the current edition.
For UAE, Sohaib Khan hit his second consecutive half-century, scoring 68 off 48 balls, while Alishan Sharafu added a valuable 40 runs off 31 balls.
(With inputs from Agencies)
