Captain Rashid Khan wrote his name in the history of T20 cricket after Afghanistan won a 38-run match against United Arab Emirates in Monday's tri-series match.
Leg-spinner Rashid took 3-21 and reached 165 T20 international wickets to break the 164-mark held by New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee.
Afghanistan scored a dominant 188-4, underpinned by half-centuries by Ibrahim Zadran (63) and opener Sediqullah Atal (54), before spin ensured a complete shut-down of the UAE batting order. The visitors were eventually limited to 150-8.
The two teams wore black armbands and paid a minute of silence in memory of the victims of Sunday's (August 31, 2025) tragic earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, which killed some 800 people and injured more than 2,500.
Pakistan, having beaten Afghanistan and UAE to hold the tri-series leaderboard, will play Afghanistan for the second time on Tuesday (September 2, 2025). The tri-series is a last warm-up before the Asia Cup, which gets underway in the UAE on September 9.
UAE captain Muhammad Waseem gave a sparkling beginning, making 67 off 37 deliveries to take his team to 66-1 in the six-over powerplay. But Khan and left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf (3-24) tore apart the middle order.
Waseem took advantage of a dropped catch at short fine leg when on 20 and hit six sixes and four boundaries around both ends of the pitch. He even hit Khan for a straight six, reaching his fifty in 25 balls.
Even though Waseem had a heroics, Khan and Ashraf initiated a collapse since UAE lost seven wickets for 46 runs. Ashraf then sent Waseem packing, who edged a pull shot at Mujeeb at short fine leg in the 10th over.
Asif Khan, who made a fifty against Pakistan the day before yesterday, was bowled by a Khan googly off only three balls. Khan's third wicket record came when Dhruv Parashar presented a faint edge, reducing UAE to 111-6 in 15 overs.
Rahul Chopra (52 not out) was one of just three UAE batsmen who made double figures, and he finished with a six from the last ball of the match.
Earlier, Atal had scored his first T20 half-century, having an 86-run second-wicket partnership with Zadran. They combined to hit seven sixes and seven boundaries. There were late inputs from Azmatullah Omarzai (20) and Jannat (23).
The bowling department saw left-arm pacer Muhammad Rohid, on series debut, impressing with 2-34.
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