Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan has bounced back from a difficult period with the ball to set a world record for the most wickets in international T20 cricket.
On Monday, 1 September, at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Afghanistan defeated the United Arab Emirates by 38 runs in a tri-nation series match. Afghanistan had set a target of 189 runs, which the UAE batsmen could only manage 150 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs.
Rashid Khan claimed 3 wickets for just 21 runs, surpassing the previous world record and becoming the highest wicket-taker in T20 internationals.
Before this match, the record was held by Tim Southee of New Zealand, who had taken 164 wickets in 126 matches. Rashid required three wickets to surpass Southee and achieved exactly that against UAE.
- Rashid Khan: 98 matches – 165 wickets (current world record)
- Tim Southee: 126 matches – 164 wickets
Top Five T20 Wicket-Takers
Apart from Rashid and Tim Southee, two Bangladeshi bowlers feature among the top five:
| Player | Matches | Wickets |
| Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) | 98 | 165 |
| Tim Southee (New Zealand) | 126 | 164 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) | 129 | 149 |
| Ish Sodhi (New Zealand) | 126 | 150 |
| Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) | 113 | 142 |
- Shakib Al Hasan: 129 matches – 149 wickets
- Ish Sodhi: 126 matches – 150 wickets
- Mustafizur Rahman: 113 matches – 142 wickets
This record comes after a challenging phase for Rashid, who had struggled for wickets in the most recent IPL and endured a disappointing run in The Hundred. His performance ahead of the Asia Cup signals a strong return to form.
Rashid Khan’s achievement further cements his reputation as one of the finest T20 bowlers in the world, while Bangladeshi stars Shakib and Mustafizur continue to chase the record.
