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

Published

1 year ago

February 5, 2025

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).

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IPL 2026: Ishan Kishan named Sunrisers’ interim captain ahead of opening clash

Kishan, 27, arrives at the leadership role on the back of strong recent form and growing stature in international cricket.

Published

5 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Ariana News

With just days to go before the curtain rises on the Indian Premier League 2026 season, anticipation is building among fans worldwide for what promises to be another high-octane edition of cricket’s most lucrative T20 competition.

The 2026 campaign is set to get underway on Saturday, March 28, meaning there are less than five days remaining until the opening match.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will host Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru, kicking off a tournament expected to deliver fresh rivalries, emerging stars, and dramatic finishes.

New leadership shift at Sunrisers

In one of the major developments ahead of the new season, Sunrisers Hyderabad—champions of the 2016 edition—have appointed Ishan Kishan as interim captain. The decision comes as regular skipper Pat Cummins continues his recovery from injury and is set to miss the opening matches.

Kishan, 27, arrives at the leadership role on the back of strong recent form and growing stature in international cricket. The explosive left-handed batter was a key contributor to India’s victorious campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and has quickly become one of the most dynamic players in the shortest format.

He joined Sunrisers for INR 11.25 crore (about $1.2 million) during the mega auction ahead of the 2025 season and made an immediate impact.

Last season, Kishan scored 354 runs in 14 matches at an average of 35.40, maintaining an impressive strike rate of 152.58. He also announced himself in style with a blistering unbeaten 106 off just 47 deliveries in his debut match against Rajasthan Royals.

Young Indian talent Abhishek Sharma has been named vice-captain and will support Kishan in leading the side during the early phase of the tournament.

Opening clash and season expectations

Sunrisers face a tough start as they take on the defending champions RCB in the tournament opener, a match that is already generating significant buzz. With several teams undergoing squad reshuffles and strategic changes following recent auctions, IPL 2026 is expected to showcase a new competitive balance across franchises.

Broadcast details for Afghanistan

Fans in Afghanistan will be able to follow every moment of the action live, as Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) holds exclusive broadcasting rights for the tournament in the country. Matches will be aired live and exclusively on Ariana Television.

Viewers are also encouraged to follow Ariana TV and Ariana News across social media platforms for the latest updates, breaking news, and in-depth coverage throughout the tournament.

Sport

Afghanistan secures third place at 2026 World Kokpar Championship

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

Ariana News

The national buzkashi team of Afghanistan delivered an impressive performance to claim third place at the 2026 World Kokpar Championship in Kazakhstan.

Afghanistan dominated the group stage with commanding victories—thrashing Hungary 14–0, defeating Russia 5–0, and overcoming Mongolia 7–0—to top Group B and advance to the semi-finals.

Despite a strong effort, Afghanistan fell 4–2 to Uzbekistan in the semi-finals. However, the team responded emphatically in the third-place playoff, beating Russia 6–0 to secure the bronze medal.

Alongside their podium finish, Afghanistan was awarded 4,500,000 Kazakh tenge (around 9,400 US dollars) by the International Kokpar Federation, capping off a successful campaign on the global stage.

Sport

Ireland to host Afghanistan for ODI series in August

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2026

Ariana News

Ireland cricket officials have announced that they will host Afghanistan for a five-match ODI series from August 5–14.

Other international teams including Australia and England have either cancelled or avoided scheduling bilateral series against Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate regained power in 2021.

“Cricket Ireland has made a decision to play Afghanistan in Belfast this year,” CI chief executive Sarah Keane said on Friday. “I’m not going to fob you off by saying that there’s financial reasons and there’s legal reasons. There aren’t. This has been a decision by Cricket Ireland in what it believes is the best interest of the organisation as a whole, and the decision was made by the board this week.”