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 Afghanistan national futsal team played to a 2–2 draw with Iran in their second match of the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh on Thursday.
Sayed Mujtaba Hosseini and Mahdi Nowruzi were on target for Afghanistan.
Having defeated Tajikistan in their opening game of the tournament, Afghanistan will face Morocco in their final group-stage match next Saturday.
Afghanistan’s national futsal team will take on Iran in its second group-stage match at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh on Thursday, following a strong start to the tournament with a 9–5 victory over Tajikistan earlier this week.
In their opening game, Afghanistan delivered an energetic performance, taking a commanding lead in the first half before conceding five goals in a tense second period. The win marked the team’s first in the competition and is expected to boost morale ahead of Thursday’s high-profile clash with regional powerhouse Iran.
Afghanistan shares its group with Iran, Morocco, and Tajikistan, as part of a tournament featuring more than 3,000 athletes from 57 Islamic countries competing across 19 sporting disciplines.
The Islamic Solidarity Games aim to foster unity and cooperation among Islamic nations through sport while encouraging cultural and athletic exchange.
The match against Iran is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. (Kabul time) at The Green Halls within the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex in Riyadh.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) holds the exclusive broadcasting rights for the Riyadh 2025 Games, marking a significant step forward for Afghan sports media. The network will air live coverage of Afghanistan’s matches, giving fans nationwide the opportunity to follow the team’s progress.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the national squad for the upcoming Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to take place from November 14 to 23 in Doha, Qatar.
The defending champions, AfghanAbdalyan, will once again be led by Darwish Rasooli, who captained the side to their maiden title in the previous edition of the tournament.
The 15-member squad includes 10 players from last year’s victorious campaign, underlining the selectors’ faith in the core group that delivered Afghanistan its first Rising Stars Asia Cup title. Among the retained names are Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Zubaid Akbari, Mohammad Ishaq, Qais Ahmad, and Nangyal Kharoti.
Promising young pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai, who recently made his T20I debut in the home series against Zimbabwe, has earned a place in the side following impressive performances at the international level.
Announcing the squad, ACB CEO Naseeb Khan expressed confidence in the team’s ability to replicate last year’s success.
“AfghanAbdalyan have emerged victorious in the previous edition of the event and will be defending their title during this year’s event in Doha,” Khan said. “We cherish the memories from last year, and with the aim of retaining the title, we have named our squad. I am confident the team will perform well and bring pride to the nation once again.”
AfghanAbdalyan have been placed in Pool B alongside Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A, and Hong Kong, China.
They will open their campaign against Sri Lanka A on November 15, followed by fixtures against Bangladesh A on November 17 and Hong Kong, China on November 19. The semi-finals and final are scheduled for November 21 and November 23, respectively, in Doha.
Afghanistan Squad
Darwish Rasooli (C), Sediqullah Atal (VC), Noor Rahman (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Zubaid Akbari, Imran Mir, Rahmanullah Zadran, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Nangyal Kharoti, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Faridoon Dawoodzai.
Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Sediqullah Pacha, Yama Arab.
Tahawol: Third round of Kabul-Islamabad talks in Turkey discussed
IEA holds fire against Pakistan to respect ongoing talks, says Mujahid
Saar: Russia’s positive remarks on Afghanistan discussed
Two killed in Pakistani attack on Kandahar border villages
Riyadh all set to host official opening of 6th Islamic Solidarity Games
Toxic cough syrup claims lives of 14 children in India
Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza ceasefire and return of hostages
Gazans trek to ruined homes as Israeli forces pull back under ceasefire
Women drive industrial growth in Herat’s expanding economic hub
Seven Israeli hostages freed in ceasefire deal after more than two years
Tahawol: Third round of Kabul-Islamabad talks in Turkey discussed
Saar: Russia’s positive remarks on Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Afghan delegation’s trip to Turkey for Pakistan talks discussed
Saar: Reason for UN activities suspension in Herat discussed
Tahawol: Exploring ways to prevent earthquake damage in Afghanistan
-
Latest News5 days agoIndia sends over 16 tonnes of medicines to Afghanistan to fight diseases
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan to face Tajikistan in Islamic Solidarity Games futsal opener
-
Sport5 days agoHaqqani celebrates Afghanistan U-17 futsal team’s Asian Youth Games triumph
-
Sport5 days agoMassive welcome for Afghanistan’s U-17 futsal champions in west Kabul
-
Sport4 days agoGurbaz and Ibrahim power Afghanistan to T20I series sweep over Zimbabwe
-
Sport2 days agoRasooli to lead Afghanistan in Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025 Defense
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan futsal team thrashes Tajikistan 9–5 in ISG opener
-
Regional5 days agoSyrian President Sharaa expected to visit Washington, US envoy says