South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada made history on the first day of the opening Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium as he became the first cricketer to claim 300 Test wickets in fewer than 12,000 deliveries.
He reached the milestone by dismissing Mushfiqur Rahim during the first session, leaving Bangladesh in a precarious position at 60-6. Rabada achieved this feat in his 65th Test match, completing 300 wickets in just 11,817 balls, surpassing Pakistani pace icon Waqar Younis, who needed 12,602 deliveries to reach the same mark.
Quickest bowlers to 300 wickets in Tests:
| Teams | Bowlers | Deliveries |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Kagiso Rabada | 11,817 |
| Pakistan | Waqar Younis | 12,602 |
| South Africa | Dale Steyn | 12,605 |
| South Africa | Allan Donald | 13,672 |
While veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin holds the record for the fewest matches to 300 Test wickets (54), Rabada’s strike rate of 39.3 is the best among all bowlers with 300 or more Test wickets. At 29, Rabada becomes the sixth South African bowler to reach this elite milestone, joining the likes of Dale Steyn, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Allan Donald, and Morne Morkel.
Rabada’s historic achievement came as he and fellow pacer Wiaan Mulder dismantled Bangladesh’s top order. With South Africa pushing for crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points, Rabada’s twin strikes, including the key dismissal of Litton Das, gave South Africa a dominant start, leaving Bangladesh struggling to recover.