Afghanistan veteran all-rounder Rashid Khan has added another major achievement to his already impressive career. The Afghanistan leg-spinner became the first bowler in men’s T20I cricket to take 200 wickets during the second T20I against Zimbabwe at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Rashid needed just one wicket to reach the landmark and got it by dismissing Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batter Tadiwanashe Marumani. The batter was trapped lbw for just two runs while chasing Afghanistan’s target of 222.

The 28-year-old reached the milestone in his 120th T20I match, further extending his lead as the highest wicket-taker in the format.

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Rashid had claimed the top spot in September 2025 when he went past New Zealand’s Tim Southee. Earlier this year, he also completed 700 wickets in overall T20 cricket.

Since making his international debut against Zimbabwe in October 2015, Rashid has established himself as one of the most dangerous bowlers in T20 cricket. England’s Adil Rashid is currently second on the list, but there is a considerable gap between the two.

Most T20I wickets

Player Matches Wickets
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) 120 200
Adil Rashid (England) 153 171
Ehsan Khan (Hong Kong) 119 165
Ish Sodhi (New Zealand) 142 165
Tim Southee (New Zealand) 126 164

Rashid Khan’s Remarkable T20I Numbers

Rashid’s record in T20Is goes well beyond the 200-wicket mark. He has taken 150 wickets in Asia, the most by any bowler in the continent. This includes 79 wickets in the UAE.

He also holds the record for taking the most wickets against a single opponent in men’s T20Is. Rashid has dismissed Ireland batters 45 times.

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Zimbabwe have also struggled against the Afghanistan spinner. He has taken 38 wickets against them, including seven dismissals of Ryan Burl. No bowler has dismissed a batter more often in men’s T20Is. The only higher figure belongs to Jersey’s Charles Perchard, who has dismissed Guernsey’s Matthew Stokes eight times.

Rashid has been particularly effective during the middle and final overs. Out of his 200 T20I wickets, 142 have come between overs seven and 16, while 56 have been taken in the last four overs.

He has only two powerplay wickets, having bowled just 102 deliveries during that phase.

Another impressive part of his record is his ability to pick up wickets in a single innings. Rashid has taken four or more wickets in an innings 11 times, which is more than any other bowler.

Afghanistan Beat Zimbabwe To Take 2-0 Lead

Rashid’s historic achievement came on a memorable night for Afghanistan, who registered a 19-run victory over Zimbabwe in the second T20I.

Afghanistan were in serious trouble early in their innings after losing four wickets for just five runs. However, Azmatullah Omarzai turned the game around with a stunning knock of 116 off 50 balls, hitting five fours and 12 sixes.

Omarzai found excellent support from Ijaz Ahmadzai, with the two putting together a 142-run partnership for the sixth wicket in just 59 deliveries. Ijaz scored 52 off 27 balls.

Rashid also made a quick contribution towards the end, scoring an unbeaten 25 off just six deliveries to help Afghanistan post 221/7.

Zimbabwe made a strong effort in the chase, with captain Sikandar Raza scoring his second T20I century. However, his knock was not enough to take his team across the finish line as Zimbabwe fell 19 runs short.