Unmatched captaincy: Rashid Khan makes T20I history despite loss to Bangladesh

SHARJAH: Rashid Khan might have ended up on the losing side in Sharjah, but his sensational performance with the ball wrote his name into the record books, once again. The Afghan superstar delivered a spellbinding 4/18 in the opening T20I against Bangladesh, achieving historic captaincy milestones never seen before in international cricket.

RASHID’S MAGIC SPELL ALMOST TURNS THE GAME

Chasing a target of 153, Bangladesh were cruising, until Rashid Khan flipped the script. In a dramatic four-over stretch, the visitors crumbled, losing six wickets for just nine runs, with Rashid leading the charge.

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The leg-spinner dismissed Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Jaker Ali, and Shamim Hossain in quick succession, leaving Bangladesh reeling. Though Afghanistan couldn’t capitalise after his spell ended, Rashid’s brilliance nearly pulled off a miracle. A late 36-run blitz from Nurul Hasan (23 off 11) and Rishad Hossain (14 off 9) rescued Bangladesh, handing them a four-wicket win in the series opener.

A RECORD-BREAKING NIGHT FOR RASHID KHAN

While the result didn’t go Afghanistan’s way, Rashid Khan’s performance shattered long-standing records. This was his fifth four-wicket haul as T20I captain, making him the first captain in world cricket to achieve this milestone.

He surpasses Jersey’s Charles Perchard (4), with no captain from a full-member nation even close. Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga and Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan have managed only two each while leading their sides in T20Is.

MOST 4-WICKET HAULS AS T20I CAPTAIN:

Rashid’s achievements didn’t stop there. With this performance, he also became the first captain from a full-member nation to claim 10 three-wicket hauls in T20Is, overtaking Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza (9).

Following them are England’s Stuart Broad and New Zealand’s Tim Southee, both with 5 three-wicket hauls as captains in T20Is. Rashid’s dominance in this category further solidifies his position as one of the best T20I bowlers in the world.

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DOMINATING T20I BOWLING RECORDS

Rashid now stands alone at the top for the most three- and four-wicket hauls in T20I history, regardless of captaincy. His 27th three-wicket haul and 11th four-wicket haul further extended his dominance. No other bowler has crossed even 19 three-fours in T20Is.

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Behind him, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan has eight four-wicket hauls, three behind Rashid, in second place.