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Rashid Khan becomes highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket

He has clinched an IPL title and a PSL title, and has become a household name in Adelaide, where he played 69 matches for the Strikers, including a standout performance of 6 wickets for 17 runs.

Published

2 years ago

February 5, 2025

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Rashid Khan, long considered one of the most captivating players in T20 cricket, has now achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the all-time leading wicket-taker in the format. The 26-year-old Afghanistan wrist-spinner surpassed Dwayne Bravo’s record of 631 wickets by bowling out Dunith Wellalage during the SA20 Qualifier 1 against Paarl Royals on Tuesday.

“It’s a tremendous achievement,” Rashid remarked to the host broadcaster following his team’s victory. “I never imagined this would happen; if you had asked me ten years ago if I would reach this point, I would have been surprised. It fills me with pride to represent Afghanistan at such a prestigious level. DJ [Bravo] is one of the finest T20 bowlers, so it’s a great honour, and I look forward to building on this success.”

Rashid made his T20 debut as a teenager in October 2015 and is now nearing the milestone of 500 matches, having become a highly sought-after player in various leagues across the globe. He has clinched an IPL title and a PSL title, and has become a household name in Adelaide, where he played 69 matches for the Strikers, including a standout performance of 6 wickets for 17 runs.

His capability to bowl quickly while keeping the stumps in play has made Rashid an exceptionally challenging bowler to face. Batters struggles to predict the direction of his deliveries, giving them little time to adjust or clues about his next move. As a result, teams often opted to defend against him, avoiding high-risk shots. Rashid has claimed four or more wickets in 20 different innings, but his defining skill lies in his ability to maintain stringent control over the opposition’s scoring.

In an interview with The Cricket Monthly last year, Rashid shared that wickets aren’t his primary focus: “If someone is aggressive against me, I’m intent on making it extremely difficult for them. If they manage to hit a good shot, that’s just well played, but I won’t let up on the pressure. My aim is to continually complicate things for the batter.”

As he has gained experience from competing in leagues like The Hundred, CPL, and BPL, Rashid’s batting has also evolved. He is known for his ability to hit sixes right from the start and has a unique shot called the “snake shot,” where he gets under a yorker-length delivery and whips his wrists to create a whip-like effect. His all-around talent was on display during the IPL 2018 playoffs when he scored 34 runs off just 10 balls to guide Sunrisers Hyderabad to a total of 170 and later helped defend it by taking 3 wickets for 19 runs and executing two catches.

Demonstrating his value, his current IPL team, Gujarat Titans, retained him for INR 15 crore (approximately USD 1.8 million).

Cricket news

India beat Pakistan by 19 runs to win Asian Games cricket gold

India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final to retain the gold medal in the competition.

Published

4 days ago

October 3, 2026

APNLive Desk

India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday to retain the gold medal.

India posted 211 for six after being sent in to bat, before restricting Pakistan to 192 for six in their 20 overs. The victory gave India their second successive Asian Games gold medal in men’s cricket.

India post 211 in final

India’s batting was led by Abhishek Sharma, who scored 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma contributed 51 off 22 balls.

The two batters provided the momentum as India reached 211 for six from their 20 overs.

India captain Shreyas Iyer had won the toss and elected to bat first in the final.

Pakistan fall 19 runs short

Pakistan’s chase was anchored by Hasan Nawaz, who made 96 from 51 balls. Saim Ayub added 29 from 22 balls, but Pakistan finished on 192 for six after 20 overs.

India’s Axar Patel and Washington Sundar each took two wickets as Pakistan fell short of the target.

The result secured the gold medal for India, while Pakistan finished with silver. Sri Lanka won the bronze medal after defeating Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match.

India retain Asian Games cricket title

The victory marked India’s second consecutive men’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games. India had also won the men’s cricket gold at the Hangzhou edition.

India’s victory over Pakistan also completed a gold-medal double for the country in cricket at the 2026 Asian Games, after the women’s team won the women’s cricket final earlier in the competition.

India News

MK Stalin attacks Vijay government over hindi signboard in Tamil Nadu

MK Stalin criticised the Tamil Nadu government over Hindi lettering on a State Highway signboard and warned the Vijay-led administration against interfering with the state’s two-language policy.

Published

5 days ago

October 2, 2026

APNLive Desk

The use of Hindi on a highway signboard in Tamil Nadu has triggered a political row, with DMK chief MK Stalin criticising the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government over the issue.

The controversy centres on a State Highway signboard that displayed place names in Tamil, English and Hindi. The board was installed on the Alwarthirunagari-Valliyoor State Highway 93 route through Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district.

Stalin objected to the inclusion of Hindi, saying Tamil Nadu has long opposed what he described as attempts to impose Hindi and warning the state government against altering its established two-language policy.

He questioned whether the use of Hindi on the signboard represented the kind of change promised by the TVK government. Stalin also urged the administration not to interfere with Tamil Nadu’s language policy.

Hindi removed from signboard

Following the controversy, the Hindi lettering was removed from the signboard. The state government also suspended two officials from the Highways Department over the matter and initiated departmental action against them.

According to officials, the Assistant Divisional Engineer and Assistant Engineer associated with the project had failed to inform higher authorities about the inclusion of Hindi on the board.

The Tamil Nadu government has said that the use of Hindi on the State Highways Department signboard was against the state’s two-language policy and warned that strict action would be taken against officials violating the policy.

Stalin targets Vijay government

Stalin also stepped up his criticism of the TVK administration, describing it as a “Reels government” and alleging that it was responding to social media trends involving influencers from northern states.

His comments came amid a wider political debate in Tamil Nadu over the state’s established Tamil-English two-language policy and the use of Hindi in government-related signage.

The latest controversy has therefore brought the language policy issue back into focus, with the DMK questioning the TVK government’s handling of the Hindi signboard and the state administration taking action against the officials concerned.

MK Stalin has criticised the Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government over Hindi appearing on a State Highway signboard. The Hindi lettering was later removed, while two Highways Department officials were suspended and departmental action was initiated.