On Monday, February 16, during ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match between Afghanistan and UAE at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan became the first bowler to complete 700 T20 wickets. The veteran cricketer, who is currently leading the side, however, broke the world record for most T20 wickets during SA20 2025; he recently added another to his cap, becoming the first to reach the 700-wicket mark.
Entering the game with 699 wickets to his name, the moment took place when Rashid Khan removed Muhammad Arfan in the 16th over of the UAE innings. The Afghan skipper was made to wait for this milestone, as he picked his last few wickets in a match against South Africa last week. After reaching this feat, Khan barely celebrated it as Afghanistan fought for a win to ensure a place in the Super Eights.
Rashid Khan dominates the wicket-taking charts
While the Afghanistan all-rounder has been way ahead in the wicket-taking list in T20s, he is followed by Dwayne Bravo, who has picked up 631 wickets, whereas Sunil Narine sits at third place with 574 wickets to his name. Moreover, Rashid Khan is also the leading wicket-taker in T20Is, and behind him is New Zealand’s Tim Southee (164 wickets) and Ish Sodhi (162 wickets).
Bowlers to pick most wickets in T20s
| Player | Span | Wickets | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | 2015-2026 | 700* | 18.07 | 6.49 |
| Dwayne Bravo | 2006-2024 | 631 | 24.4 | 8.26 |
| Sunil Narine | 2011-2025 | 574 | 21.6 | 6.12 |
| Imran Tahir | 2006-2025 | 531 | 19.99 | 6.97 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | 2006-2024 | 492 | 21.49 | 6.79 |
| Andre Russell | 2010-2025 | 466 | 25.58 | 8.71 |
| Chris Jordan | 2008-2025 | 416 | 27.2 | 8.62 |
| Wahab Riaz | 2005-2023 | 413 | 22.63 | 7.54 |
| Lasith Malinga | 2004-2020 | 390 | 19.68 | 7.07 |
| Sohail Tanvir | 2005-2022 | 389 | 26.36 | 7.49 |
