Historic Milestone! Rashid Khan Becomes First-Ever Bowler To Take 200 T20I Wickets

Rashid Khan Enters T20I Record Books With Historic 200-Wicket Feat

Afghanistan’s star spinner Rashid Khan has reached a landmark that no bowler has achieved in men’s T20 International cricket. The 28-year-old became the first player to complete 200 wickets in the format during the second T20I against Zimbabwe at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

With just one wicket separating him from the historic figure, Rashid dismissed Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batter Tadiwanashe Marumani, trapping him lbw for two runs. The breakthrough came as Zimbabwe pursued Afghanistan’s target of 222.

Rashid reached the milestone in his 120th T20I, further extending his advantage over the other leading wicket-takers. He had claimed the number-one position in September 2025 after moving past New Zealand’s Tim Southee. Earlier this year, he also completed 700 wickets in all forms of T20 cricket.

Having made his international debut against Zimbabwe in October 2015, Rashid has consistently dominated opposition batting line-ups. England’s Adil Rashid is the closest bowler to him on the all-time men’s T20I list, with 171 wickets.

Top Five Wicket-Takers In Men’s T20Is
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan): 200 wickets in 120 matches; average 13.96; economy 6.13

Adil Rashid (England): 171 wickets in 153 matches; average 23.42; economy 7.56

Ehsan Khan (Hong Kong): 165 wickets in 119 matches; average 15.38; economy 6.11

Ish Sodhi (New Zealand): 165 wickets in 142 matches; average 23.01; economy 8.16

Tim Southee (New Zealand): 164 wickets in 126 matches; average 22.38; economy 8.00

Records That Highlight Rashid’s Consistency
The 200-wicket achievement is only one part of Rashid’s impressive T20I record. He has taken 150 wickets in Asia, the highest number by any bowler in the continent. His tally includes 79 wickets in the UAE.

Rashid has also been especially successful against Ireland, claiming 45 wickets against the team. No other bowler has dismissed batters from a single opponent as many times in men’s T20Is.

Zimbabwe have been another familiar target for the Afghan spinner. He has taken 38 wickets against them, including seven dismissals of Ryan Burl. This is the highest number of times a bowler has dismissed an individual batter in men’s T20Is. Jersey’s Charles Perchard has a higher tally in the wider T20 format, having dismissed Guernsey’s Matthew Stokes eight times.

His figures also demonstrate how effective he has been in the middle and final overs. Rashid has picked up 142 wickets between overs seven and 16, followed by 56 in the last four overs. Only two of his 200 wickets have come during the powerplay, a phase in which he has bowled just 102 deliveries.

He has also recorded 11 four-wicket or better hauls in T20Is, the most by any bowler in the format, with a two-haul advantage over his nearest competitors.

Omarzai Leads Afghanistan’s Comeback Against Zimbabwe
The match in Sharjah was significant for Afghanistan beyond Rashid’s individual milestone. The hosts recovered from a disastrous opening to put 221/7 on the scoreboard.

Afghanistan were struggling at 5/4 before Azmatullah Omarzai turned the innings around with a remarkable 116 off 50 balls. His innings included 12 sixes and five boundaries.

Omarzai built a decisive sixth-wicket stand with Ijaz Ahmadzai, who scored 52 from 27 deliveries. The pair added 142 runs in just 59 balls to put Afghanistan back in control. Rashid then supplied a quick unbeaten 25 from six balls to lift the total further.

Zimbabwe responded with determination, and captain Sikandar Raza struck his second T20I century. Despite his effort, the visitors could not complete the chase and ended 19 runs behind.

Afghanistan’s win secured a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, making the final match inconsequential to the series result. The victory also continued their unbeaten series run against Zimbabwe, taking it to eight consecutive T20I series.