Rashid Khan, the first bowler to take 650 wickets in T20 cricket, made history at Lord’s

 Afghanistan’s leg-spin sensation Rashid Khan reached a new milestone in cricket history. In the first match of The Hundred 2025 at the historic Lord’s ground, the spin magician created a record. Playing for Oval Invincibles, Rashid became the first player in T20 cricket to take 650 wickets.

In the match, Rashid took 3 crucial wickets—Wyn Madsen, Ryan Higgins, and Liam Dawson—conceding just 11 runs off 20 balls. This performance took his total T20 wicket tally to 651.

Top wicket-takers in T20 cricket (as of August 2025):

• Rashid Khan – 651
  
  

• Dwayne Bravo – 631
  
  

• Sunil Narine – 589
  
  

• Imran Tahir – 547
  
  

• Shakib Al Hasan – 498
  
  

“I’m thrilled to start the tournament with a win and to contribute with the ball,” Rashid said after the match.
He added, “I haven’t bowled much in recent months as I took a break after the IPL. It took time to get physically and mentally ready. Years of experience helped me today.”

Rashid also said, “Every ball is important in fast-paced tournaments like this. I tried to bowl in the right areas and add variations — the results were good.”

Besides Rashid, English all-rounder Sam Curran shone in the match against London Spirit, taking 3 wickets for 18 runs, helping to bowl out the opposition for just 80 runs. Oval Invincibles easily chased the target and secured victory.

Rashid Khan’s dominance in T20 cricket is nothing new. However, by reaching the 650-wicket milestone, he has proven he is one of the greatest bowlers in T20 history—not just of the current generation. Now it’s only a matter of time how far this record will extend under his name.