Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has scripted history by becoming the leading wicket-taker in T20s, surpassing Dwayne Bravo’s tally of 631 wickets in the SA20 qualifier 1 between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals yesterday (February 5).
Rashid achieved the landmark when he dismissed Sri Lanka all-rounder Dunith Wellalage in the 10th over of the Royals' chase. Having made his T20 debut as a teenager in 2015, Rashid currently boasts a total of 633 wickets in 461 T20s at an average of 18.07 and an economy rate of 6.49. In comparison, Bravo, the previous record holder, accumulated 631 wickets from 582 matches during his 18-year T20 career at 24.40 and 8.26.
"It's a great achievement," Rashid told the host broadcaster after the match. "I never thought about it, if you asked 10 years before this if I would get there. It's a proud feeling to be from Afghanistan and to be at that level where you top the table. DJ [Bravo] is one of the best T20 bowlers. It's a great honour and I'm looking forward to continuing."
🚨 NEW WORLD RECORD🚨
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 4, 2025
Rashid Khan has broken DJ Bravo's all-time record for the most wickets in T20 cricket.
The 26-year-old now has 633 T20 wickets and counting. pic.twitter.com/xuy2QhN5la
Rashid, who has played 461 T20s so far, is nearing his 500th match. If he gets there, the all-rounder will become only the seventh player after Kieron Pollard, Bravo, Shoaib Malik, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and David Miller to reach the milestone. Still 26, Rashid has become a sought-after name in T20 cricket, winning an IPL and a PSL title. He has also played 69 matches in the BBL for Adelaide Strikers, including a career-best 6-17. Rashid’s experience also saw him land deals in The Hundred, CPL and BPL.
Most T20 wickets: Full list
Following Rashid and Bravo on the list of all-time T20 wicket-takers are West Indies' Sunil Narine, South Africa spinner Imran Tahir and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. Barring Bravo, all in the top five are spinners, possessing an economy under seven.
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