T20 Icons: Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan made his international debut for Afghanistan in 2015 at the age of 17 and swiftly developed into the most fearsome spinner in Twenty20 cricket.

His stellar performances for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL launched a glorious career in T20 franchise leagues around the world and he will be hoping to inspire the Afghans at the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.

Rashid Khan in Profile

Team	Afghanistan
Years active	2015 to present
Playing role	Leg-spinner and right-handed batsman
Career wickets	572 wickets in 423 matches

*Stats refer to all T20 matches, correct as of 1st May 2024.

Rashid Khan honours

Rashid Khan enjoyed a stunning first season for Adelaide Strikers in the 2017/18 Big Bash League, finishing as the joint-leading wicket-taker as the Strikers beat Hobart Hurricanes in the final to win their first title.

The leg-spinner added an IPL medal to his collection in 2022, when Gujarat Titans lifted the trophy in their maiden season as a franchise.

Rashid narrowly missed out on more glory in the 2023 IPL as Gujarat lost a thrilling final to Chennai Super Kings and their star spinner finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 27 scalps. 

In 2017, when he took his career-best ODI figures of 7-18 against the West Indies, Rashid was named ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year.  

Rashid Khan greatest matches

Rashid had already bamboozled some of the world's top batters by the time he faced Ireland in a T20 international in India in March 2017.

Ireland's run-chase was interrupted by a rain delay and when play resumed Rashid ripped through their batting line-up, taking five wickets for three runs in just two overs.

Those figures remain his best in T20 internationals but he claimed 6-17 for the Strikers against Brisbane Heat in the 2021/22 Big Bash – marking his 300th T20 appearance in style.

Rashid has taken a hat-trick in the Caribbean Premier League, the Big Bash and the IPL. His IPL hat-trick came for Gujarat against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023 when his first two victims were fellow T20 giants Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.

Rashid's career highlights are not confined to the T20 format, however. He was player of the match in Afghanistan's 2019 Test victory over Bangladesh, taking 11 wickets and scoring 75 runs, and also starred in their win against England at the 50-over World Cup in 2023.

As well as his brilliant bowling, Rashid is a dangerous lower-order batter and he almost pulled off a T20 World Cup miracle against Australia in November 2022.

Chasing 169 for victory, Afghanistan fell just four runs short after Rashid, batting at number eight, smashed 48 not out from 23 balls at the Adelaide Oval.

Rashid Khan career statistics

Rashid Khan will still be only 25 years old when the 2024 T20 World Cup starts in June but the former teenage prodigy already has some formidable career statistics.

At the start of May 2024, only New Zealand's Tim Southee and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan had taken more T20 international wickets than Rashid, whose economy rate of 6.07 runs per over is comfortably the best of any bowler to reach 100 wickets.

In 2018 he became the youngest man to captain an international team, aged 19, and the fastest player to reach 100 ODI wickets, in just his 44th match.

He was also the fastest to make it to a century of wickets in T20 internationals. It took him 53 matches to reach that landmark – 10 games fewer than the next-quickest player, Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga.

Quotes on Rashid Khan

It was a no-brainer for us. For any team, if Rashid Khan is available you would look to pick him. He is the best spinner in the world.

Adelaide Strikers coach Jason Gillespie at the 2023 Big Bash Draft

My greatest T20 player of all time is none other than Rashid Khan. He delivers with bat and ball and is a match-winner in both departments. He is a livewire in the field and has got the heart of a lion.

South Africa legend AB de Villiers, speaking in 2023

I am not a mystery spinner; I just try to bowl in the right areas and keep it simple.

Rashid explaining the secret of his success in T20 cricket