The Story of Rashid Khan: Age, History Team, Stats and Records

T20 Cricket ever since its inception has been a game dominated by batsmen. Players like Chris Gayle, Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers have dominated the format with their batting and six hitting ability. Bowlers only ever had an advantage over the batters if the cricket pitch conditions were suitable for them. Maybe a spinning and gripping surface or fast bowling supporting track. But then in 2015, Rashid Khan, a teenager of immense skill and ability took over the format playing for the Afghanistan National Cricket Team, and smashed through the notion that the shortest format of the game can only be dominated by the batsmen. Throughout their careers, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan had ruled the Test Cricket and ODI formats respectively with their spin bowling, and now Rashid Khan is leading the charge on his way to become the greatest spin bowler in the T20 format, all while being the main man in Afghanistan’s national team. 

In this article by ZAP, let’s know more about Rashid Khan, how he made his debut on the international stage at such a young age, his stats and records, both in international cricket and in the various T20 leagues around the world, and finally understand why he will go down as one of the greatest players in the T20 Cricket format. 

Rashid Khan’s Childhood, age and early years:

Rashid Khan was born on 20 September 1998 in Nangarhar, Eastern Afghanistan and his current real age is 25 years old. He had a childhood shaped by the challenging backdrop of the Afghan war. His family which hails from Jalalabad consists of ten siblings. In his early years, Rashid's family sought refuge in Pakistan where they lived for a few years due to the turmoil of the Afghan war. Despite the hardships, they eventually returned to Afghanistan, where he resumed his normal life, including his education. During his upbringing, Rashid developed a keen interest in cricket. Growing up with his brothers, he spent his childhood years playing the sport that would later become his profession. He admired Pakistan’s best player in those times, Shahid Afridi and would base his own playing and bowling style on Afridi’s leg spin. 

Rashid Khan’s International Cricket Debut and Career:

ODI Debut and Career:

Rashid made his ODI Cricket Debut for the Afghanistan National Team against Zimbabwe on October 18, 2015 and he was only 17 years of age when his made his debut. In an ODI Match against the West Indies, he scaped 7 wickets finishing with figures of 7 wickets for 18 runs. It was the fourth best ODI bowling figures and he became the first cricketer from an associate nation to take 7 wickets. He captained Afghanistan for the first time in an ODI match during the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in March 2018, becoming the youngest international captain at the age of 19.

In February 2018, Rashid Khan created history by becoming the youngest player to be at the top of the ICC Player Rankings for bowlers in both ODIs and T20Is. He was creating headlines not just with his bowling but with his batting as well, where he would come in and bat well for this national side in the lower middle order. After his brilliant all round performance in the 2018 Asia Cup, he ascended to the top of the ICC all-rounder rankings. During Afghanistan’s 2019 World Cup Qualifiers campaign, he reached the figures of 100 wickets in ODIs in just 44 matches, becoming the fastest and the youngest player to do so. 

He did not have a very impressive 2019 World Cup campaign after he bowled one of the most expensive spells ever giving away 110 runs in just 9 overs. Afghanistan too, did abysmal in the tournament losing all of their games and finishing dead last in the 10-team league table. The 2023 World Cup proved to be one of the highest points in his history where Afghanistan finished 6th beating heavyweights England and Pakistan in the tournament. 

T20I Career:

Credit: Wisden

Rashid Khan made his T20I debut for the Afghanistan team just a couple of days after his ODI debut on October 26, 2015 against Zimbabwe. In March 2017, during a T20I match against Ireland, Rashid took a historic five-wicket haul, securing the best bowling performance by an Afghan cricketer in a T20I. His figures of five wickets for three runs were not only the best by an Afghan but also the joint fourth-best in all T20Is. Rashid continued to make headlines with his remarkable performances. In January 2018, he was honoured as the Associate Cricketer of the Year by the International Cricket Council (ICC). He became the fastest bowler to 50 wickets in Twenty20 Internationals in June 2018. and also set a new record for the fastest bowler in terms of matches to collect 100 wickets. 

Test Debut and Career:

Credit: Wisden

The Afghanistan National Cricket Team was an associate nation in the ICC Cricket playing nations until 2017 but became a full member of the International Cricket Council that year, which meant they were granted test match status. Rashid Khan made his debut against India in June 2018 in the playing 11 in Afghanistan's first ever Test match. Later in September 2019, at just 20 years and 350 days of age, he became the youngest cricketer to captain a Test match side when he led the squad in the one-off Test against Bangladesh. In his first Test match as captain, he became the first bowler to take ten wickets but also the first cricket player to hit fifty runs and take ten wickets in their first match as test captain.

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Rashid Khan in the IPL and other T20 Leagues:

In the Indian Premier League (IPL):

Credit: Scroll.in

Rashid Khan made his IPL debut in 2017 with Sunrisers Hyderabad when they bought him for a price of Rs. 4 Crores, becoming one of the first Afghan players in the league. In his debut season in 2017, he impressed by finishing as the sixth-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets from 14 matches. He established himself as one of the most potent spinners in the tournament. His ability to bamboozle batsmen with his variations, especially his Googly Spin bowling variation, and deliver crucial breakthroughs made him a game-changer. He continued to make significant contributions, becoming one of the main players in the Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL team playing an important role in them reaching the IPL finals in 2018, which they eventually lost against the Chennai Super Kings. He played with the Sunrisers Hyderabad for 5 years and made his move to a new team in 2022. Rashid Khan found his new IPL Team at the Gujarat Titans franchise at the 2022 IPL Mega Auction. In this very first season with the team, he was made the vice captain after Hardik Pandya, and the team even went on to lift the IPL Trophy in their very first season. In the 2023 season, he picked up a memorable hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders, becoming one of the few bowlers to do so in the IPL. Rashid Khan’s current IPL salary sits at Rs. 15 Crore per year, and is one of the highest paid players in the league. His impactful performances and unreal consistency in the IPL have made him not just a valuable asset for the Gujarat Titans and SRH surely made a regretful decision by not retaining him. As one of the pioneering Afghan players in the IPL, Rashid continues to be a fan favourite for supporters at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium.

Other T20 Leagues:

Rashid Khan has showcased his ability to prowess in various leagues worldwide. In the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), he played for Guyana Amazon Warriors and also took the first hat-trick in CPL history. In the 2020 edition, he became the youngest bowler to take 300 T20 wickets, achieving the milestone at the age of 21 years and 335 days.

Credit: India TV News

In the Big Bash League (BBL), Rashid joined Adelaide Strikers and had a major contribution to winning the tournament in the 2017–18 season. He continued to shine, taking another hat-trick in the BBL in 2020 and achieving his career-best figures of six wickets for 17 runs in the 2021–22 season.

He also made an impact in the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), where he was named the Icon Player for Kabul Zwanan's squad, earning the Player of the Tournament title despite being on the losing side in the final. In the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Rashid played for Quetta Gladiators in 2018 and later became the first Platinum Pick for Lahore Qalandars in the 2021 edition. 

Not just this Rashid Khan has played for multiple teams in various T20 Leagues around the world like the NatWest T20 Blast in England, Mzansi Super League T20 in South Africa, and The Hundred. His global T20 journey continued in the United States’ Major League Cricket (MLC) T20 where he even won the first ever MLC in 2023 with the MI New York Team. 

Rashid Khan and Wickets in International Cricket:

Format	Matches	Wickets	Best Bowling Figures	5W
Tests	5	34	7/137	4
ODIs	103	183	7/18	4
T20Is	82	130	5/3	2

Tests: 

Rashid Khan has only played 5 test matches but already has proven to be a potent force with his leg-spin bowling. In 5 matches, he has taken an impressive 34 wickets at an average of 22.35. His best bowling figures (innings) in Tests matches is 7/137. 

ODIs:

Rashid Khan's performances in One Day Internationals (ODIs) have been nothing short of spectacular. With 183 wickets in 103 matches at an average of 20.48, he has emerged as a linchpin in the bowling department for his team. His best bowling figures of 7/18 shows this uncanny ability to deliver exceptional bowling spells that can change the course of any match. 

T20Is:

Rashid Khan has established himself as one of the premier spin bowlers in T20 Internationals (T20Is). With 130 wickets in 82 matches at a remarkable average of 14.80, he is one  of the best bowlers in the shortest format of the game. His best T20I bowling figures is 5/3 which is majestic in this format. Rashid’s has an economy rate of 6.16, which shows he not only scalps wicket, but also a miser when it comes to giving runs. 

Rashid Khan Stats and Wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL):

Year	Matches	Wickets	Best Bowling Figures
2017	14	17	3/19
2018	17	21	3/19
2019	15	17	3/21
2020	16	20	3/7
2021	14	18	3/36
2022	16	19	4/24
2023	17	27	4/30
Career	109	139	4/24

Rashid Khan has one of the best all-rounders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since his debut in 2017. In 2017, his maiden IPL season, he picked up 17 wickets in 14 matches, with a best bowling figure of 3/19. The following years continued to witness his excellence, with notable performances in 2018, 2019, and 2020, where he maintained a commendable wicket-taking record. His best IPL season came in 2023, where he scalped an impressive 27 wickets in 17 matches. Rashid Khan has taken a total of 139 wickets in 109 matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a best bowling figure of 4/24. 

In the overall T20 format, taking into consideration the T20Is, IPL, and all the other leagues in the world, Rashid Khan has a total of  556 wickets in 410 matches. 

Rashid Khan Records:

ODI Records:

1. Rashid set the record for the most impressive bowling performance by a player from an associate nation in One Day Internationals, accomplishing this feat against West Indies in 2017.
2. He is the youngest player ever to reach the top position in the ICC One Day International bowler rankings.
3. In just 44 matches, he not only became the youngest player to pick up 100 One Day International wickets but also achieved this milestone faster than anyone else.
4. He has the second-best career bowling average - 18.65 - in ODI cricket.

Test Records:

1. The first Afghan bowler to take a 5-wicket and a 10-wicket haul in Test matches.
2. He is also the first player to take a 10-wicket haul as a captain in Test matches.
3. The first player to score a half-century and take 10 wickets in the same Test match

T20 Records:

1. Rashid Khan holds the record of being the youngest player to reach the top ranking in ICC T20 International bowler rankings.
2. At the age of 19 years and 165 days, Rashid Khan became the youngest player to captain an international team..
3. He is the first player to secure a five-wicket haul in just two overs in T20 Internationals.
4. Fastest bowler to complete 100 dismissals in T20 Internationals.
5. Joint-quickest spin bowler to achieve 100 IPL wickets along with Amit Mishra.
6. Rashid Khan is one of the four bowlers in the world to claim more than 450 wickets in T20 cricket, including T20 Internationals and franchise cricket.
7. Rashid Khan has the most hattricks in T20 Cricket – 4. 

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