Renowned Pakistani all-rounder, Shadab Khan achieved yet another milestone in T20I cricket in the final game of the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan at Sharjah.
The stand-in skipper bowled well in the last encounter, taking three wickets and conceding just 13 runs in his four-overs, leading his side to a 66-run victory in the match.
With this match-winning performance, the leg-break spinner became the first Pakistani and sixth overall to take 100 wickets in the shortest format of the game. In the women’s game, Nida Dar has also achieved the same feat for Pakistan and is the only Pakistani on the list of top wicket-takers.
The 24-year-old all-rounder surpassed former Pakistani captain, Shahid Afridi, on the list of leading wicket-takers for Pakistan, who ended with 98 wickets in 97 innings in the format.
The Mainwali-born all-rounder now has a total of 101 wickets in 83 innings, at an average of 21.35 and an economy rate of 6.95, while his best bowling figures are 4/8.
After the match, Shadab Khan said that it is an honor for him to become the first Pakistani bowler to take 100 wickets in the shortest format of cricket.
Alhamdulilah, It is an honour to become the first Pakistani men’s cricketer to take 100 T20I wickets. We couldn’t win the series but these youngsters will be future stars and make Pakistan proud InshAllah. #PakistanZindabad pic.twitter.com/TMbpM2Ovrq
— Shadab Khan (@76Shadabkhan) March 27, 2023
Shadab Khan was also awarded the player of the match in the last encounter of the series for his all-round performance, taking three wickets and scoring 28 runs off 17 balls.
It is pertinent to mention here that Shadab was leading the Men in Green for the first time as a stand-in captain in the absence of the all-format captain, Babar Azam, in the series.
| Bowler | Wickets | Innings | Best Bowling |
| Shadab Khan | 101 | 83 | 4/8 |
| Shahid Afridi | 98 | 97 | 4/11 |
| Umar Gul | 85 | 60 | 5/6 |
| Saeed Ajmal | 85 | 63 | 4/19 |
| Haris Rauf | 72 | 55 | 4/22 |
The first men's cricketer from Pakistan to take 100 T20I wickets! Shadab Khan ❤️ #AFGvPAK pic.twitter.com/tw80upPvgu
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) March 27, 2023
