Sharjah: Afghanistan skipper and star spinner Rashid Khan carved his name into cricketing history by surpassing former New Zealand pacer Tim Southee to become the leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals, courtesy of a match-winning performance against the UAE in the ongoing tri-series.
Rashid underlined his status as a modern-day T20 great with a three-wicket haul that powered Afghanistan to a commanding 38-run win. His spell of 3/21 in four overs broke the UAE’s resistance and elevated his career tally to 165 wickets in 98 matches at an average of 13.75 and an economy of 6.07. His record also includes eight four-wicket hauls and two five-fors.
The 25-year-old spinner first dismissed Ethan D’Souza (12), before removing big-hitter Asif Khan for just 1(4) to draw level with Southee’s tally of 164. History was sealed when Dhruv Parashar edged to substitute fielder Mohammad Ishaq, handing Rashid his landmark wicket.
Alongside Rashid, Sharafuddin Ashraf played a vital role with figures of 3/24, while Fazalhaq Farooqi and veteran Mohammad Nabi claimed one wicket each as Afghanistan successfully defended their total of 188/4.
Earlier, openers Sediqullah Atal (54 off 40) and Ibrahim Zadran (63 off 40) set the platform with blistering knocks, compensating for Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s continued lean patch. Their efforts lifted Afghanistan to a formidable score, which proved too much for the UAE.
The result gave Afghanistan their first win of the tri-series after defeats to Pakistan and the UAE, offering a timely confidence boost with the Asia Cup just a week away.
