Haris Rauf of Pakistan has made history by becoming the fastest pacer to reach 100 T20I wickets in terms of matches played, achieving this feat in his 71st match during the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup fixture against Canada at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Tuesday (June 11).
However, Rauf still trails behind spinners Rashid Khan (achieved in 53 matches) and Wanindu Hasaranga (63 games) in terms of the fastest route to 100 wickets in the format. During the match, Rauf took the wicket of Shreyas Movva, caught behind by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, to complete his 100 wickets in T20Is.
Additionally, he dismissed Ravinderpal Singh for a duck in the same over (10th of Canada’s innings). Rauf surpassed the previous record, which was jointly held by Mark Adair of Ireland and Bilal Khan of the USA, with 72 matches each.
At 30 years old, he has become the second Pakistani bowler, after all-rounder Shadab Khan, to achieve this milestone. Rauf has taken the most T20I wickets against New Zealand and England, with 32 and 21 wickets, respectively.
💯 🆙@HarisRauf14 becomes the second Pakistan player to take 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ wickets in Men's T20Is 🙌#PAKvCAN | #T20WorldCup | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/CW4GaL7Ekj
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) June 11, 2024
Tim Southee of New Zealand currently holds the record for the highest number of wickets in T20Is, having taken 157 wickets in 123 matches. A total of 14 players, including Rauf, have achieved the milestone of taking 100 or more wickets in the T20I format.
The quickest to reach 100 T20I wickets in terms of matches played:
Rashid Khan – 53
Wanindu Hasaranga – 63
Haris Rauf – 71
Mark Adair – 72
Bilal Khan – 72
During the current T20 World Cup, Rauf secured four wickets in the initial two matches, notably achieving figures of 3/21 against India. Additionally, he claimed five wickets across two matches in the recently finished T20I series against England.
Haris Rauf’s performance in the T20 World Cup improves after returning from injury
Haris Rauf has experienced a positive change in his performance during the T20 World Cup following his comeback from a prolonged injury break. The fast bowler was sidelined for three months before the England tour due to a dislocated shoulder.
Before the ICC mega event, Rauf informed reporters in England (via ICC):
“I was injured the last few months, but if you believe in yourself, then the layoff can be a blessing in disguise because you have time to recover and reassess your game plans. I felt good coming back to cricket. When you play for your country, it makes you very proud,” he added.
Haris Rauf was absent from a home series against New Zealand and a tour to Ireland after suffering the injury during the PSL 2024 in February.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
