During his team’s match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Sharjah on Monday, September 1, Afghanistan’s skipper and top spinner Rashid Khan made history by taking the most wickets in Men’s T20 Internationals. With figures of 3/11 in his four overs, the leg-spinner put on a masterful display and led Afghanistan to victory by 38 runs. Rashid Khan 165 T20I wickets became the highest in the history of the format, surpassing the record held by former New Zealand bowler Tim Southee.
With the last ball of his stint, Rashid Khan broke the record when he found Dhruv Parashar’s outside edge, which was successfully pouched by substitute fielder Mohammad Ishaq.
He had previously dismissed Asif Khan and Ethan D’Souza, the latter of whom was level with Southee before securing the all-time record. After Muhammad Waseem, who had hit a scorching 67 off only 37 deliveries, was removed by Sharafuddin Ashraf, his efforts set off a middle-order collapse that ultimately proved decisive.
Most wickets in Men’s T20Is
| Sr. No. | Player | Team | Wickets | Average | Economy |
| 1 | Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 165 | 13.75 | 6.07 |
| 2 | Tim Southee | New Zealand | 164 | 22.38 | 8.00 |
| 3 | Ish Sodhi | New Zealand | 150 | 22.52 | 7.95 |
| 4 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 149 | 20.91 | 6.81 |
| 5 | Mustafizur Rahman | Bangladesh | 142 | 20.84 | 7.30 |
Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal’s 84-run partnership provided a solid batting foundation for Afghanistan’s triumph. Atal anchored the innings with his first T20I half-century, while Zadran hit a smooth 63 off 40 balls. Afghanistan reached a competitive 188 thanks to their foundation, which enabled lower middle-order batsmen Karim Janat and Azmatullah Omarzai to unleash pyrotechnics, scoring 49 runs in a three-over burst.
Rahul Chopra put up a brave fight with an undefeated fifty-two off thirty-five balls, while Muhammad Rohid Khan made an impression with two wickets in his innings for the United Arab Emirates. But the hosts failed miserably due to the absence of reliable alliances.
The match was place as part of the current triangular series between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan, who has already won twice, will play Afghanistan on Tuesday. Each team will play twice thanks to the tournament format, and the top two teams will advance to the final on September 7.
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