Afghanistan continued their recent dominance over the West Indies as they secured a commanding victory in the first match of a three-game T20I series, just a day after their under-19 side defeated the Caribbean team in Windhoek.
Chasing a target of 182, West Indies struggled against Afghanistan’s potent bowling attack and were eventually bowled out for 143, handing the hosts a 38-run victory in Dubai. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan, inching closer to a historic milestone, claimed two wickets for just 19 runs, moving him two steps nearer to becoming the first bowler in T20I history to reach 700 wickets.
Afghanistan batted first and posted a competitive 181 for three. After losing their openers cheaply for 19 runs, the third-wicket pair of Ibrahim Zadran (87) and Darwish Rasooli (84) put together an unbroken partnership of 162, guiding the innings to a strong finish. Supporting bowlers Mujib ur Rahman and pacer Ziaur Rahman also played key roles, restricting the West Indies’ top order and ensuring the visitors never recovered.
Rashid, renowned for his leg-spin wizardry, currently leads T20I bowling with 691 wickets in 507 innings. Only nine more wickets are needed to reach the 700-mark, a feat that could well materialise during the upcoming T20 World Cup. Among other bowlers with over 600 wickets, notable names include Dwayne Bravo (631 wickets), Sunil Narine (613), Imran Tahir (570), and Andre Russell (508).
| Bowler | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan (AFG) | 507 | 507 | 691 | 18.55 |
| Dwayne Bravo (WI) | 546 | 546 | 631 | 22.0 |
| Sunil Narine (WI) | 573 | 573 | 613 | 22.5 |
| Imran Tahir (SA) | 430 | 430 | 570 | 20.3 |
| Andre Russell (WI) | 521 | 521 | 508 | 26.1 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 461 | 461 | 507 | 19.8 |
| Mustafizur Rahman (BAN) | 319 | 319 | 410 | 21.7 |
Afghanistan will face the West Indies in two more T20Is before heading to India for the T20 World Cup, where they are set to open against New Zealand in Chennai on 8 February. Speaking after the match, Rashid emphasised the team’s readiness:
“As a squad, we are fit and confident. We hope to perform well in the World Cup. With the right combination and coordination, we want to implement our best strategies in India.”
Rashid’s performance against the West Indies not only highlighted his wicket-taking ability but also reinforced Afghanistan’s growing stature as a competitive T20 side, signalling that the 27-year-old could soon achieve a milestone that would place him firmly among the all-time greats of the format.
