Sport
Rashid Khan breaks all-time record, becomes T20’s highest wicket-taker ever
Rashid is fast approaching 500 T20 matches having been a hugely sought after player in leagues across the world
Afghanistan’s super-star spin bowler Rashid Khan has notched up yet another achievement – this time he’s become the highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket ever.
The 26-year-old Afghan went past Trinidad’s Dwayne Bravo’s tally of 631 wickets when he bowled Dunith Wellalage in the SA20 qualifier 1 against Paarl Royals in South Africa on Tuesday.
“It’s a great achievement,” Rashid said 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,” Rashid said.
Rashid made his T20 debut when he was still a teenager in October 2015.
He is now fast approaching 500 matches having been a hugely sought after player in leagues across the world, ESPNcricinfo reported.
He has won an IPL title and a PSL title and was virtually a household name in Adelaide, Australia, where he played 69 matches for the Strikers in the Big Bash League, including picking up career-best figures of 6 for 17.
The ability to bowl quickly through the air and keep the stumps in play made Rashid an extremely difficult bowler to face, especially since it was hard to pick which way the ball was going to turn, ESPNcricinfo reported.
He gave batters no time to adjust and very little clues what was going to happen.
Eventually, teams simply started playing him out without taking too much risk, the cricket outlet reported.
Rashid could run through a side – he has 20 hauls of four wickets or more – but his defining quality was that he could always keep opposition batters under control.
In an interview with The Cricket Monthly last year, Rashid said: “If someone is going after me, I’m going to make it super hard for him. If he still hits it, it’s a good shot. But I won’t ease down [on creating the pressure]. It’s more about making things harder and harder for the batter.”
Rashid has however improved his batting skills and is known for his ability to come in and hit sixes straight away.
In fact he has his very own shot, called the snake shot, where he gets underneath a yorker length ball and whirls his wrists to such an extent the bat makes contact and surges back, like whiplash, stated ESPNcricinfo.
In a sign of how influential Rashid can be, his current IPL team, Gujarat Titans, retained his services for INR 15 crore (about $1.8 million).
The 2026 Winter Olympics are underway in Italy, running from February 6 to 22, with events staged across Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo and surrounding alpine venues.
It is the first time the Winter Games are being hosted jointly by two cities, with Milan hosting ice events and mountain competitions spread across Cortina and nearby valleys.
The Winter Olympics were first held in 1924 in Chamonix, complementing the Summer Games revived in 1896. Traditionally dominated by European and North American nations, Norway remains the most successful country in Winter Olympic history.
Italy last hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956 (Cortina d’Ampezzo).
The 2026 Games will feature 16 sports and 116 medal events, including the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering.
Key Dates
Opening Ceremony: 7 February
Games conclude: 22 February
From high-speed alpine racing to gravity-defying snowboarding and freestyle skiing, Milano Cortina 2026 promises a showcase of elite winter sport, iconic Italian scenery and some of the most exciting Olympic competition yet.
For sports enthusiasts across Afghanistan this event is not one to be missed and can be viewed live and exclusively on Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN).
While the opening ceremony is only on Saturday, February 7, early events get underway tonight (Thursday February 5) at 10.30pm on Ariana Television. So be sure to tune in.
Afghanistan’s national cricket team defeated the West Indies by 23 runs in their second and final warm-up match ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The match was played in India, where Afghanistan had already beaten Scotland by 61 runs in their first warm-up game.
Afghanistan will open their official World Cup campaign on February 9 in Chennai, India, when they face New Zealand.
Sport
Winter Olympics finally underway, ATN to broadcast exclusively across Afghanistan
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) will broadcast the Games nationwide, starting Thursday, February 5, with an exciting snowboarding event airing live from 11:00 pm local time.
The long-awaited Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games are finally underway, bringing the thrill of world-class winter sport to audiences across the globe — and for viewers in Afghanistan, all the action will be available exclusively on Ariana Television.
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) will broadcast the Games nationwide, starting Thursday, February 5, with an exciting snowboarding event airing live from 11:00 pm local time. A pre-show will start at 10:30 pm local time.
The coverage marks a major moment for sports fans, offering front-row access to one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles.
From high-speed snowboarding runs to the drama and determination of elite athletes competing on ice and snow, the Winter Olympics promise weeks of excitement, inspiration and global unity through sport.
ATN said its exclusive coverage aims to bring international sport closer to Afghan audiences, celebrating athletic excellence and the Olympic spirit from the opening events onward.
With the first medals on the line and snowboarding kicking off the broadcast schedule, fans are being urged to tune in Thursday evening as the Winter Olympics roar into life.
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