Rashid Khan creates T20I history in Sharjah.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan has etched his name in history as the greatest T20 bowler with a stellar display in Sharjah during his team’s win over the UAE in the ongoing tri‑nation series.
He has officially become the highest wicket‑taker in men’s T20 internationals, surpassing New Zealand’s Tim Southee for the honour.
Rashid Khan now stands at 165 wickets from just 98 matches, with a miserly economy rate of 6.07. Southee, by comparison, has 164 wickets in 126 games with an economy of 8.00.
The 26‑year‑old also holds the record for the most T20 wickets overall, with 664 scalps in 489 matches across the globe. Given his age and the volume of T20 cricket he plays, it’s not out of the question that his record may stand for a long time.
Pakistan’s representation in this illustrious list is through Haris Rauf, who sits 11th with 124 T20I wickets from 88 games.
Most Wickets in T20I Cricket:
| Player | Teams | Span | Mat | Inns | Balls | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | AFG/ICC | 2015–2025 | 98 | 98 | 2240 | 373.2 | 1 | 2269 | 165 | 5/3 | 13.75 | 6.07 | 13.57 | 8 | 2 |
| Tim Southee | NZ | 2008–2024 | 126 | 123 | 2753 | 458.5 | 7 | 3671 | 164 | 5/18 | 22.38 | 8.00 | 16.78 | 2 | 2 |
| Ish Sodhi | NZ | 2014–2025 | 126 | 121 | 2549 | 424.5 | 0 | 3379 | 150 | 4/12 | 22.52 | 7.95 | 16.99 | 4 | 0 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | BAN | 2006–2024 | 129 | 126 | 2745 | 457.3 | 3 | 3117 | 149 | 5/20 | 20.91 | 6.81 | 18.42 | 6 | 2 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | BAN | 2015–2025 | 113 | 112 | 2430 | 405.0 | 8 | 2960 | 142 | 6/10 | 20.84 | 7.30 | 17.11 | 3 | 2 |
The landmark came on a night when Afghanistan also secured their first win of the tournament, comfortably defeating hosts UAE by 38 runs. Rashid Khan creates T20I history in Sharjah.
The result leaves Rashid Khan and Afghanistan second on the table with one win from two outings. Pakistan, who have already beaten both Afghanistan and the UAE, sit comfortably at the top with a perfect record. The UAE remain winless after two matches.
Rashid Khan and his men now turn their focus to Pakistan once more tonight, a fixture that promises high intensity as the two neighbours meet again on UAE soil.
