In a historic moment for cricket, Afghanistan's star leg-spinner Rashid Khan became the first player in the world to claim 700 wickets in T20 cricket during the 2026 T20 World Cup match against the United Arab Emirates at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finalists were desperate to keep their fading hopes of qualifying for the Super 8 stage alive after suffering back-to-back defeats to New Zealand and South Africa. On Monday, February 16, Rashid won the toss and elected to bowl first in this must-win encounter, setting the stage for his remarkable achievement.
Delivering an economical spell, Rashid conceded just 24 runs off his four overs while picking up one crucial wicket. The landmark moment came in the 17th over when he dismissed UAE batsman Muhammad Arfan via a rare 'hit-wicket' dismissal, marking his 700th scalp in the shortest format of the game.
This freak dismissal not only propelled Afghanistan's campaign but also etched Rashid's name in the annals of cricket history as the pioneer to reach the 700-wicket milestone in T20s. He had already surpassed Dwayne Bravo's previous record for the most T20 wickets last year during the 2025 Indian Premier League.
Sunil Narine stands as the only other spinner to have exceeded 600 wickets in T20 cricket, underscoring Rashid's dominance among tweakers in the format. However, Dwayne Bravo holds the distinction of being the first to achieve 300, 400, 500, and 600 T20 wickets.
Earlier milestones in T20 bowling records were set by former Netherlands and Australian pacer Dirk Nannes, who was the first to reach 100 and 200 wickets. Rashid's ascent to 700 cements his legacy as the format's greatest wicket-taker to date.
