Rashid Khan picks 600th T20 wicket as 'Afghan Atal' scales Hindu Kush in franchise cricket

Rashid Khan caught attention with his awkward bowling action early in his career. But the leg-spinner made sure that was not the thing he desired to get stereotyped with, he instead was widely acclaimed as the rapid, tight-lined, wicket-to-wicket brisk spinner, stamped by the legend Muttiah Muralitharan during his stay in Sunrisers Hyderabad's coaching setup in the Indian Premier League. On July 30, 2024, Rashid claimed his 600^th T20 wicket to hold the second position in the list of highest wicket-takers in T20 cricket.

The young Afghan rose out of the refugee camps of Pakistan where cricket was sprouting as Afghanistan crumbled and turned into a barren land with war at its peak. He was good at his studies and had a bigger interest in cricket. Initially dreaming of becoming a doctor, little did he know that he would be doctoring his ability to pick wickets of stalwarts of world cricket. He breached the 600-wicket mark in just 438 appearances, 78 innings less than number-one-ranked Dwayne Bravo who tops the list with 630 wickets in 543 innings now. 

King of Macedonia, Alexander had once said that even the dirt is hostile in Afghanistan. The extremist-led explosions of 2018 and 2022 in local cricket matches in Afghanistan made things worse for fans and players. The likes of Rashid, Mohammad Nabi, and youngsters Azmatullah Omarzai and Fazalhaq Farooqi were welcomed by the world especially India through IPL contracts. Rashid is a standout talent as T20 maverick Suryakumar Yadav exclaimed ‘Hard to pick’ and ‘Best bowler in the world’ while speaking highly of him.

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Rashid creates unassailable record for budding Afghan crickters 

He has provided the stat-hungry cricket fanatics another reason to stick a glossy refrigerator magnet on his name. He claimed Paul Walter’s wicket in The Hundred 2024 playing for Trent Rockets and the 600^th wicket is always going to be a special one as the ‘Afghan Atal’ did so while maintaining an economy of 6.47 and an average of 18.25, an eye-opening stat for a person who has travelled the length and breadth of the world representing almost 20 different franchises.