600 wickets from 441 games by Rashid Khan

Arguably the greatest T20 cricketer of all time, Rashid Khan has taken 600 wickets from 441 games in the format, at an average of 18.25 and an economy rate of 6.47.

The fact that no other bowler with 300 wickets has a better average than him is evidence of Rashid’s mastery, which he has continued weaving with astounding consistency ever since he made his T20 debut in 2015.

The rise of Rashid Khan in T20 cricket

Rashid played just two T20s in his debut year but has been unstoppable ever since. In 2016, his first full year as a professional cricketer, he scalped 36 wickets at 15.69, including figures of 2-17 and 2-26 at the T20 World Cup, against the eventual finalists, England and the West Indies.

It was the start of a memorable journey. Rashid took 176 wickets in his next two seasons at an average of 15.23. As a result, he became the biggest beneficiary of the rapidly increasing franchise cricket nexus and, till July 2024, has turned out for 16 teams, excluding his national team Afghanistan, in 10 different leagues across the world.

In T20, He has averaged more than 20 in only two calendar years – truly a stupendous effort, given the myriad pitch and weather conditions he has had to adjust to. In Australia, for example, where only four spinners have picked up 100 T20 wickets, Rashid averages 17.57 for his 102 scalps in 71 innings, the best any spinner has averaged in the country in the format. He is the fastest spinner to the milestone and the only overseas bowler in the 100-wicket club in Australia. It is proof of his skills and highlights his global impact.

Can Rashid get to 1,000 T20 wickets?

He should. Barring major injuries or a drastic drop in form, Rashid is on his way to becoming the first bowler in any of the two limited-overs formats to 1,000 wickets. The record is currently owned by Wasim Akram, who ended with 881 wickets in his List A career.

Rashid's ability to keep reinventing his game in a hectic calendar even as video analysis reaches groundbreaking levels further works in his favour. On average, he plays 55 T20s a year, for 74 wickets. Based on purely those numbers, he should get to the 1,000-wicket mark in five and a half years, at the age of 31. He will need approximately 735 T20s, or 294 more games if he keeps going at his current level.

It is also going to be a record that will be tough to break. Dwayne Bravo (630), the only man above Rashid on the list of T20 wicket-takers, is still an active cricketer, but is already 40 and coaches more teams than he plays for. Sunil Narine is third on the list with 557 wickets, but like Bravo, age is not on his side. Among active cricketers, Shakib Al Hasan (492 wickets) and Andre Russell (462) are nearest to Rashid, but they are on the wrong side of 30 as well and also have a fair bit of catching up to with Rashid.

Among bowlers aged 25 or fewer, Shadab Khan is closest to Rashid with 326 wickets, followed by Shaheen Shah Afridi, with 281. Both will require immense consistency to overtake Rashid, who is only going from strength to strength, playing more than any other bowler currently does.

Since his debut, Rashid has played 441 T20s, the 13th-most in the world. However, he has managed to do so in the quickest time, playing an average of 49 games per year. Since his debut in October 2015, he has played 66 more T20s than any other cricketer in the world. Shadab, the nearest under-25 bowler closest to Rashid’s wickets tally, has played 298 games in this period.

However, the very reasons that could take him towards a historic record are also factors that could lead to a downfall. Since the start of 2023, Rashid has played 79 T20s, despite not being in action in the format for over eight months due to injury – about eight T20s for every month he was available – while playing other formats. He also took part in last year’s ILT20, which was not counted in the official records. He played 17 ODIs along with the 20-over games, and the immense workload eventually took a toll on his body as he missed The Hundred, the BBL, the SA20, the PSL, and Afghanistan’s T20I tours of the UAE and India.

He made a comeback against Ireland in March and has gone on to play 31 T20s since then. Since the start of April, he has played in four different tournaments: the IPL, the T20 World Cup (where he led), the MLC, and – only five days after the MLC – The Hundred. While playing almost non-stop and flying from continent to continent will boost Rashid’s numbers, there is a major risk of extreme burnout that may cause irreversible damage to the body. An athlete's time at the pinnacle of their career is limited and, understandably, Rashid desires to maximize his financial opportunities while there is time. Yet, this pursuit must not transform into a scenario of hypothetical regrets and missed chances.

Aside from Rashid’s bowling prowess, his batting has improved by leaps and bounds as well and an exciting few years await him. Sky is the limit for the all-rounder in the making, but managing his body while resisting the temptation of being here-there-everywhere will be crucial.

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