Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Rashid Khan has established himself as one of the finest spinners in white-ball cricket, putting in match-winning performances in international as well as franchise cricket. He is also an icon of Afghanistan cricket along with Mohammad Nabi. The Nangarhar-born is celebrated his 26th birthday on Friday, September 20.
The leg-spinner made his international debut in October 2015 against Zimbabwe and took very little time to adjust to the challenges at the highest level of the sport. Rashid has played five Tests, 104 ODIs, and 93 T20Is so far and picked up 34, 185, and 152 wickets, respectively. He also has a half-century to his name in Test cricket and five in ODIs.
Rashid plays in various T20 leagues around the world and has accounted for a whopping 613 wickets from 448 games in the format. While the 26-year-old is phenomenal in white-ball cricket, the shortest format is where he excels the most. Fans are always curious to know more about the their favourite cricketers. Rashid’s story in that sense is quite compelling and deserves a read.
Here are the three lesser-known facts about Rashid Khan:
3. Quickest to 100 wickets in T20Is, second-fastest to 100 wickets
Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Rashid Khan’s exemplary stats in white-ball cricket are a testament to his commendable skillsets. Rashid has bamboozled some of the best batters in world cricket with his variety of leg-spin and googlies. He burst onto the international scene with some incredible performances after making his debut at the age of just 17. He took just 53 T20Is to bag 100 wickets in the format. No one has been able to better this record as yet.
Also Read: What makes Rashid Khan’s bowling technique so unique?
Meanwhile, he took his 100th ODI wicket in his 44th appearance in the format. He was the quickest in terms of matches to register this milestone at that time. However, Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane managed to overhaul his record as he picked up his 100th victim in the 50-over format in his 43rd ODI match.
2. Rashid Khan’s family wanted to become a doctor
Rashid Khan. (Source – Twitter/X)
Rashid’s family didn’t want him to take up cricket as a profession. Instead, they wanted him to become a doctor. In an interview, the talismanic all-rounder had revealed that he was not allowed to play cricket as such. He added that there were no doctors in the Khan household and that is why his parents wanted him to take up that profession.
Also Read: AFG vs SA Match Prediction – Who will win today’s 2nd ODI match between AFG vs SA?
Rashid said that he was very good in studies and he never went to a club or any academy. He would go for matches without informing anyone. His friends took him to matches where he began doing well with both bat and ball. Rashid also mentioned that he is completely natural as he did not get any coaching during his younger days.
1. Youngest captain of a full member team in international cricket
Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Apart from being a remarkable cricketer, Rashid also has a sharp mind and laudable leadership qualities. He became the youngest to captain a full member team in international cricket when he led Afghanistan in the ODI format at the age of 19 years and 165 days. Rashid is also the youngest-ever Test captain, having led the Blue Tigers at the age of 20 years and 350 days.
Also Read: Cricket South Africa confirms playing bilaterals with Afghanistan in future
The experienced campaigner led Afghanistan to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA. This made him the first captain to lead Afghanistan in the semi-finals of a World Cup. Afghanistan lost to South Africa in the semi-finals but Rashid received a lot of praise from fans as well as experts for his astute leadership during the campaign.