T20 World Cup: Rashid Khan Becomes First Bowler to Claim 700 T20 Wickets

New Delhi – Rashid Khan, captain of Afghanistan, created history by becoming the first bowler to take 700 wickets in T20 cricket. The leg-spinner achieved the milestone during a Group D match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup against the United Arab Emirates at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.

Rashid entered the match with 699 wickets and reached the landmark in the 16th over of the UAE innings. He dismissed Muhammad Arfan, who attempted a reverse sweep but missed the ball and hit his own stumps, resulting in a hit-wicket dismissal and marking Rashid’s historic 700th wicket in T20 cricket.

Despite achieving the record, Rashid kept his celebrations subdued as Afghanistan remained focused on defeating the UAE to keep their chances of qualifying for the Super Eights stage alive. He had been nearing the milestone since last week, when he claimed his 698th and 699th wickets against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

In the New Delhi match, Rashid bowled 3.2 overs without taking a wicket before finally breaking through. He conceded 17 runs from the first 20 deliveries he bowled before dismissing Arfan. Rashid has consistently been the leading wicket-taker in the T20 format.

Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo holds the second position on the all-time T20 wicket-takers list with 631 wickets, while off-spinner Sunil Narine is the closest active player in third place with 613 wickets.

Rashid also leads the wicket-taking charts in T20 Internationals, having taken 191 wickets for Afghanistan. Retired New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee, with 164 wickets, and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, with 162 wickets, follow him on the list.

Speaking last week about the milestone, Rashid said he does not set personal targets and remains focused on performing for the national team. He emphasised that his primary aim is to give his best effort whenever the team needs him and contribute by taking crucial wickets.

With inputs from IANS