Shaheen top wicket-taker in T20s this year

LAHORE: Pakistan’s young pace sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi has surpassed Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan as the leading T20 wicket taker in the ongoing calendar year 2020.

Afridi achieved this feat on Monday during Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s National T20 Cup match against Sindh. Afridi finished with figures of 5-21.

It took his T20 wicket haul for the year to 36, three more than Rashid.

With Rashid in action during the ongoing Indian Premier League 2020 and Afridi’s business in National T20 also far from finished, the race between the two is likely to heat up in the days to come.

Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, both with 31 wickets each, are also hot on Rashid’s heels.

Afridi’s feat against Sindh on Monday was his fourth such haul in career. Only Lasith Malinga has more T20 5-fers. The Sri Lankan fast bowler has five 5-wickets hauls to his credit but is in the twilight of his career whereas the man from Landi Kotal is only just starting.

Shakeeb Al Hasan and David Wiese also boast four five-fors in T20 cricket.

Furthermore, it was Afridi’s third 5-wicket haul of the year. No other player has more than one this year.