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Rashid Khan will walk out at Chepauk tomorrow needing just four victims to become the first bowler to 700 wickets in T20 cricket. The Afghanistan captain was in relaxed mood on the eve of the New Zealand clash, joking about numbers yet stressing the work behind them.
“Feeling Nalla [good],” Rashid said, breaking into Tamil with a laugh. “Like I only played nine-ten years of international cricket overall, and then to be the leading wicket-taker is something more than a dream for me. T20 cricket came… I don’t know [in] 2004-05, we had players playing a lot, but for me to achieve that would be something very special.”
“But I never counted my wickets. I only knew about it in the media: okay, I have reached 400, 500, 600, but I really didn’t think about it much. I only tried my best, every single day, I have to keep performing well for the team and I have to pick up wickets. I want to bowl in a tough situation where the team needs [me], and that made me focused… Seven hundred wickets is not something small – getting there needs a lot of time and hard work and I’m blessed. I’m happy to reach that milestone and hopefully can make it to 7000 (laughs).”
At 27, Rashid has time on his side. A typical T20 season for him includes stints in at least three leagues plus international duties, so another hundred wickets by this time next year is not out of the question. The raw totals matter less to him than the context: he takes most of those wickets in powerplay or death overs, the overs captains tend to hide their weaker bowlers from.
Spin production line
Afghanistan’s spinners now form a queue rather than a trio. Noor Ahmad, only 21, learnt his trade watching Rashid on television and now shares the new ball with him for Gujarat in the IPL. Further back are 19-year-old Arab Gul and wrist-spinner Qais Ahmad. Rashid welcomes the competition.
“Pretty much happy… If I’m not playing tomorrow or if I’m not there, we have the back-ups, and we have the options where they can come [in] with the good skills and do well for the team. Arab Gul, there is Qais Ahmad who is ready, Mujeeb is now there, we have Ghazanfar, we have Wahidullah Zadran who is doing well in Under-19 [cricket], then Noor Ahmad, we have Waqar Salamkheil, which is great. And it made us push [ourselves] a lot, it makes us work very hard.”
That depth also keeps the senior men honest.
“If we don’t take things seriously, they are the ones who are going to step in. If you don’t perform in cricket, you can’t be just playing and playing. I don’t think nowadays, [a big] name should be like always, always, always there. If you are not performing, a youngster will have more hunger than you and will have more commitment than you, so you have to step back and give him an opportunity. So, that’s why we have to keep pushing ourselves and that’s why I set the target of 7000 (laughs).”
Batting still lags
While the slow-bowling cupboard is overflowing, Afghanistan’s batting stocks remain thin. Darwish Rasooli forced his way into the World Cup squad after a strong Shpageeza season, yet the talent pool below him is shallow. Rashid wants more domestic white-ball cricket to fix that.
“Well, we don’t have much [domestic] cricket in Afghanistan, to be honest, especially [the] shorter format,” Rashid said. “We have four-day cricket, but not much of the white-ball cricket. And then sometimes, for you as a captain, it becomes very hard to pick”.
The board is considering a franchise-style event to mirror the Shpageeza T20 League, aimed at giving batters longer runs under pressure. Coaches believe a dozen extra T20 matches per season could fast-track at least two middle-order options before the 2030 cycle.
What 700 means
Only five bowlers have crossed 500 T20 wickets, and none is within 80 of Rashid. Dwayne Bravo, the next man on the list, retired at 37 with 625. Rashid may need another 18 months to reach 800 if his current strike-rate holds. Analysts point to his repeatable action and minimal front-arm stress as reasons he avoids injury despite bowling almost 300 competitive overs a year.
Yet World Cup titles, not wickets, drive him now. Afghanistan’s best global finish remains the 2023 semi-final, lost to Australia by five runs. With Chennai expected to offer turn, Rashid knows this opener against New Zealand could set the tone.
A milestone may arrive somewhere in Kane Williamson’s middle overs. Rashid insists he will not count. The rest of us will.
