BULAWAYO: Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has etched his name in T20I records, surpassing Shadab Khan’s feat to become Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in the shortest format.
The milestone came during the opening match of the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe here on Sunday.
Rauf, with his 109th wicket, surpassed Shadab’s record of 107 wickets. The 31-year-old achieved the feat in just 76 T20I matches, while Shadab won 104 matches. Rauf’s remarkable consistency with the ball has made him a standout player in Pakistan’s T20I setup.
Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi is third on the list with 97 wickets in 73 matches and is just three wickets away from joining the exclusive 100-wicket club in T20Is.
LEADING WICKET-TAKER FOR PAKISTAN IN T20I CRICKET:
- Haris Rauf – 109 wickets in 76 matches
- Shadab Khan – 107 wickets in 104 matches
- Shaheen Shah Afridi – 97 wickets in 73 matches
- Shahid Afridi – 97 wickets in 98 matches
- Umar Gul – 85 wickets in 60 matches
- Saeed Ajmal – 85 wickets in 64 matches
Former New Zealand captain Tim Southee currently holds the global record for most wickets in T20I cricket, 164 wickets in 126 matches.
Pakistan decided to bat first after winning the toss in the opening match. The team posted a total of 165 runs after losing four wickets in their innings. Pakistan’s start was difficult as they lost Omair Bin Yousuf early for 16 runs in the third over. Saim Ayub and Usman Khan tried to rebuild but both were dismissed for 24 and 39 runs respectively.
Captain Salman Ali Agha also struggled, scoring just 13 runs off 19 balls before falling to Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza. However, Tayyab Tahir’s 39* off 25 balls and Irfan Khan’s quickfire 27* off 15 balls helped Pakistan reach a defendable total of 165 runs.
In response, Zimbabwe’s batting crumbled under pressure. Despite valiant efforts from their captain Sikandar Raza (39 runs) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (33 runs), the hosts scored 108 runs in just 15.4 overs. Apart from Raza and Marumani, no Zimbabwe batsman managed to reach double figures, with Pakistan’s bowlers causing havoc.
Pakistan’s spin duo of Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem were instrumental, taking three wickets each. Haris Rauf added two wickets to his growing tally, and Jahandad Khan contributed one wicket. The hosts failed to put up any significant resistance and Pakistan won by 57 runs.
Middle-order batsman Tayyab Tahir was named Player of the Match for his exceptional performance with the bat.
With this dominant performance, Pakistan now lead the three-match T20I series 1-0. The second match will take place on December 3, 2024, at 4:30 pm PST, at the same location.
