Rashid Khan Creates T20I History with 200 Wickets for Afghanistan

Rashid Khan, an Afghanistan leg-spinner, has become the first bowler to reach 200 wickets in men’s T20 internationals. He accomplished the milestone in the second T20I against Zimbabwe at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday, removing wicketkeeper-batsman Tadiwanashe Marumani for two runs.

Afghanistan achieved the milestone while defending a 222-point mark against Zimbabwe. Rashid’s last wicket cemented his place at the top of the all-time men’s T20I wicket-takers list, expanding his lead over the other best bowlers in the game.

Rashid made his international debut against Zimbabwe in October 2015. In September 2025, he surpassed Tim Southee of New Zealand to become the highest wicket-taker in men’s T20Is during a tri-series match against the UAE at Sharjah.

Rashid Khan’s 200 T20I Wickets Set a New Benchmark

Rashid took 200 wickets in 120 matches, with a bowling average of 13.99 and an economy rate of 6.12, according to the source.

Adil Rashid of England is second on the all-time wickets list, with 171 from 153 matches. Ehsan Khan of Hong Kong and Ish Sodhi of New Zealand have both collected 165 wickets, while Tim Southee has 164 from 126 matches.

The disparity between Rashid and the other bowlers emphasizes his standing in the format. His record-breaking effort against Zimbabwe marked another milestone in his international career, which began roughly eleven years ago.

Rashid’s feat occurred during a contest in which Afghanistan recovered from a poor start with the bat. The squad was down to 5/4 until a spectacular middle-order combination altered the trajectory of the game.

Afghanistan’s Omarzai Powers 221 as Zimbabwe Fall Short

Azmatullah Omarzai delivered the outstanding batting effort, getting 116 runs off just 50 deliveries. His innings comprised five fours and 12 sixes, which aided Afghanistan’s recovery from its first collapse.

Omarzai partnered Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai for a sixth-wicket partnership of 142 runs off 59 balls. Ahmadzai provided 52 from 27 deliveries, allowing Afghanistan to achieve a total of 221/7.

Rashid then scored an unbeaten 25 from six balls late in the innings. Brad Evans and Kundai Matigimu both claimed two wickets for Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s response was headed by captain Sikandar Raza, who struck his second century in T20Is. Despite his efforts, the visitors fell 19 runs short of their aim.

Zimbabwe got off to a good start with a fresh starting combination of Brian Bennett and Takudzwanashe Kaia, with rookie Tafadzwa Tsiga supporting Raza. However, Ryan Burl’s early ejection halted the team’s momentum.

Rashid enthusiastically greeted Raza following the match. The two are good friends who had chatted before the event.

The victory extended Afghanistan’s winning streak in the bilateral T20I series against Zimbabwe to eight games. Rashid will remember the match as the one in which he became the first bowler to surpass 200 men’s T20I wickets, while Afghanistan won thanks to a spectacular recovery with the bat.

Rashid has taken five wickets in an innings twice before, and his best bowling numbers are five wickets for three runs.

Rashid leads the men’s T20 International wicket-takers list with 200 wickets, 29 wickets ahead of Adil Rashid of England.

Rashid became the first Afghan bowler to take 200 wickets in One Day Internationals (ODIs) in October of last year, doing it against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi.