Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan cements his place in history after becoming leading T20I wicket-taker

Sharjah [UAE], September 2 (ANI): Afghanistan's captain and premier spinner Rashid Khan etched his name in the history book by shattering former New Zealand pace spearhead Tim Southee's record to become the player with the most T20I wickets, following his exploits against the UAE in the ongoing tri-series.

Rashid cemented his credentials as a modern-day T20I great by leaving an indelible mark in the format. He soared to the summit of the top wicket-takers in T20Is by scalping a three-wicket haul during Afghanistan's emphatic 38-run victory over the UAE.

He was the prime architect behind the UAE's collapse after returning with figures of 3/21 in his four-over spell. He dethroned Southee and his tally of 164 from the top and bettered it with his 165 from 98 appearances at 13.75, conceding runs at an economy of 6.07, including eight four-wicket hauls and two five-fors.

Rashid wreaked havoc in Sharjah alongside Sharafuddin Ashraf, clearing Afghanistan's path to victory while defending their total of 188/4. He opened his account by dismissing Ethan D'Souza (12). He then removed heavy-hitter Asif Khan, who brought the thunder down at the same venue by tormenting Pakistan's experienced bowling unit, cheaply on 1(4) and went level with Southee.

Dhruv Parashar became the record-breaking scalp after Rashid lured him to pick up a thick outside edge, which carried to substitute-fielder Mohammad Ishaq, forcing his return on a mere score of one. The 38-run success was Afghanistan's first in the tri-series, after floundering against Pakistan in the opener and surrendering to a 39-run defeat.

With the Asia Cup less than a week away, Afghanistan had plenty of positives to take away from the contest across all facets. In the first innings, Rahmanullah Gurbaz continued to misfire, but Sediqullah Atal (54 off 40) and Ibrahim Zadran (63 off 40) staged an all-out onslaught and fuelled Afghanistan's innings to 188/4.

While on the bowling front, apart from Rashid, left-arm orthodox spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf played a starring role with 3/24. Fazalhaq Farooqi and seasoned Mohammad Nabi chipped in with a wicket each. (ANI)

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