Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan achieves mega milestone of 700 wickets in T20 cricket

Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan scripted historical past within the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026, turning into the primary bowler to succeed in 700 wickets in T20 cricket. The landmark second got here throughout Afghanistan’s conflict towards UAE in Delhi on Monday.

Rashid, who entered the competition with 699 wickets, achieved the feat when he dismissed Muhammad Arfan within the sixteenth over of the UAE innings. It was a really distinctive dismissal, because the UAE batter hit the stumps along with his personal bat, handing Rashid his historic 700th scalp.

The Afghan captain needed to await the milestone. He had picked up his 698th and 699th wickets towards South Africa final week however went wicketless in his first 3.2 overs on this encounter, conceding 17 runs from 20 deliveries earlier than the breakthrough arrived. Regardless of the historic milestone, Rashid stored celebrations minimal, with Afghanistan needing a win and beneficial outcomes elsewhere to qualify for the Tremendous Eights.

Rashid has lengthy been forward within the all-time T20 wicket charts. The retired Dwayne Bravo sits second with 631 wickets, whereas Sunil Narine is the following greatest amongst energetic gamers with 613 scalps. He’s additionally the main wicket-taker in T20Is, with the milestone wicket being his 191st within the format for Afghanistan. New Zealand’s Tim Southee (164 wickets) and Ish Sodhi (162 wickets) path him on that checklist.

The 700-wicket mark had been a recurring subject throughout media interactions within the lead-up to the match. Addressing it earlier than the South Africa recreation, Rashid had some issues to say on the document.

“700 wickets, regardless of the achievement is, it can proceed. I’ve not stored any goal in my thoughts that I’ll take 700 wickets and cease – no, once I play for the nationwide workforce on the World Cup, then I make 100 per cent effort. And when the workforce requires it, I take the wicket,” he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Broadly thought to be essentially the most prolific wicket-taker in T20 historical past, Rashid has proven exceptional consistency over time. Though he has been barely under his peak since present process again surgical procedure in 2023, indicators of a powerful comeback had been seen in Afghanistan’s current sequence win over the West Indies.

In Afghanistan’s opening World Cup fixture, he returned figures of 1 for 36 and adopted it up by taking three extra wickets in his workforce’s subsequent two fixtures. 

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