Rashid Khan becomes leading wicket-taker in T20 history as MI Cape Town wins SA20 Qualifier

Afghanistan’s star spinner Rashid Khan made history by surpassing West Indian legend Dwayne Bravo to become the highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket. The milestone was achieved during MI Cape Town’s Qualifier One clash against Paarl Royals at Gqeberha, where Rashid played a crucial role in his team’s 39-run victory.

Rashid took two wickets for 34 runs in his four-over spell while defending a total of 200 runs. He dismissed Dunith Wellalage and Dinesh Karthik, solidifying his place as the top wicket-taker in T20 cricket. Now, in 461 matches, Rashid has claimed 633 wickets at an average of 18.07, with his best figures being 6/17. Throughout his career, he has recorded four five-wicket hauls.

Dwayne Bravo, who previously held the record, has 631 wickets in T20 cricket, taken over an 18-year career at an average of 24.40, with his best performance being 5/23. Behind Rashid and Bravo on the list of leading T20 wicket-takers are West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine (574 wickets in 536 matches, best figures of 5/19), South Africa’s Imran Tahir (531 wickets in 428 matches, best figures of 5/23), and Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (492 wickets in 444 matches, best figures of 6/6).

The match itself saw MI Cape Town dominate from the outset. Paarl Royals opted to bowl first, but MI Cape Town’s opening pair of Ryan Rickelton (44 off 27 balls, three fours and two sixes) and Rassie van der Dussen (40 off 32 balls, four boundaries and two sixes) built a strong foundation with an 87-run partnership in 9.2 overs. The Royals briefly fought back, taking three wickets in quick succession to reduce MI Cape Town to 91/3.

However, George Linde’s quickfire 26 off 14 balls, which included three sixes, helped MI Cape Town regain momentum. The Royals’ bowling struggles continued as they lost their discipline, delivering multiple waist-high full tosses that led to Dayyaan Galiem being forced out of the attack. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Dewald Brevis (44 not out off 30 balls, four sixes) and Delano Potgieter (32 not out off 17 balls, four boundaries and a six) accelerated in the final overs, adding 74 runs in the last five overs to push the total to 199/4.

Paarl Royals started their chase aggressively, taking 21 runs off Trent Boult’s opening over. Lhuan-dre Pretorius contributed a quick 15 off six balls with two fours and a six before falling to Kagiso Rabada. Despite a fighting knock from captain David Miller (45 off 26 balls, four boundaries and a six) and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik’s 31 off 28 balls (five fours), the Royals struggled to maintain the required momentum.

Adding to MI Cape Town’s celebrations, Rashid Khan’s record-breaking moment came when he clean-bowled Wellalage, surpassing Bravo’s T20 wicket tally. The night ended on a high note for MI Cape Town as they secured a spot in the SA20 final at the Wanderers on Saturday. Meanwhile, Paarl Royals will have another opportunity to reach the final when they play in Qualifier Two on Thursday at Centurion. Potgieter was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his all-round performance.