Shaheen Afridi surpassed Jasprit Bumrah in the T20 record list, clinching 314 wickets in 225 games. Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 39 runs in the tri-series opener. Skipper Salman Agha scored an unbeaten 53, while Haris Rauf starred with four wickets in Sharjah.
Pakistanโs star pacer Shaheen Afridi has surpassed Jasprit Bumrah on the list of most wickets in T20 cricket. Afridi claimed two wickets in the first T20I against Afghanistan, taking his tally to 314 wickets in 225 matches. Bumrah, with 313 wickets from 245 games, now sits just behind the left-arm quick. Meanwhile, among Pakistan internationals, he stands ninth on the all-time list. However, he can climb to eighth by surpassing Hasan Ali in the following game against UAE on August 30. The 25-year-old needs only two wickets to beat that record.
In the meantime, the Men in Green had a cracking start to the tri-series, beating Afghanistan by 39 runs at the Sharjah cricket Stadium. The Rashid Khan-led side made their presence felt in the T20 World Cup 2024 by qualifying for the semifinals. Ahead of the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup in six months, the team was looking for some momentum in the format, but Pakistan gave them no room for any sort of dominance.
Captain Salman Agha led from front
Batting first, Pakistan’s openers struggled for a while. Sahibzada Farhan wasnโt shy to play an aggressive brand of cricket, but Saim Ayub made it difficult for the team. He eventually departed for 14 runs off 16 balls. At three, Fakhar Zaman too failed to get going as the pressure fell on captain Salman Agha.
He went on to play a fine knock of unbeaten 53 runs off 36 balls, but most importantly, guided the middle order to play fearlessly. It resulted in Pakistan posting 182 in the first innings. When it came to the chase, Afghanistan batters struggled to decode the Pakistan pacers. Haris Rauf clinched four wickets, while Shaheen, as mentioned previously, clinched two. Mohammad Nawaz also made his impact with two wickets.ย
Towards the fag end, captain Rashid went on to play a blistering knock of 39 runs off just 16 balls, but that couldnโt inspire his teammates.