'Vintage Shaheen' — Fans Erupt as Shaheen Shah Afridi Scripts Four-Wicket Comeback vs England In T20 World Cup 2026 Clash | Image Source - X/Screenshot
ENG vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has scripted history as he etched a record under his name. The left-arm quick has now become Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in the shortest format of the game, surpassing Haris Rauf to claim the no. 1 spot.
Shaheen Shah Afridi needed three wickets in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match against England on Tuesday, February 24th, to go past the run tally of Haris Rauf. Shaheen reached the milestone in style. The milestone moment came when he dismissed Jacob Bethell on the fifth ball of the fifth over during England’s 165-run chase at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Playing in Pakistan’s second Super 8 match in Kandy, Shaheen replaced Faheem Ashraf in the XI and wasted no time making an impact.
He struck on the very first ball of England’s innings, removing Phil Salt. The batter was caught by Usman Khan and had to walk back for a golden duck. That early breakthrough gave Pakistan the perfect start.
Shaheen’s second wicket came soon after. He dismissed Jos Buttler, with Usman Khan once again taking the catch, this time on the third ball of the third over.
With two wickets in his first two overs, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha showed faith in his strike bowler and handed him another over in the powerplay. Shaheen delivered yet again. On the fifth ball of that over, Jacob Bethell tried to go big but ended up being caught near the boundary ropes by Sahibzada Farhan. That wicket helped Shaheen move past Rauf and into the record books.
While Shaheen now leads the way for Pakistan, the overall world record for most T20I wickets still belongs to Rashid Khan. In 115 matches, the Afghan star has taken 193 wickets.
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Best Figures | 5-Wkt Hauls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | 102* | 134* | 4/22 | 0 |
| Haris Rauf | 94 | 133 | 4/18 | 0 |
| Shadab Khan | 123* | 123* | 4/8 | 0 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 97* | 98* | 5/18 | 2 |
| Shahid Afridi | 98 | 97 | 4/11 | 0 |
| Saeed Ajmal | 64 | 85 | 4/19 | 0 |
| Umar Gul | 60 | 85 | 5/6 | 2 |
| Imad Wasim | 75 | 73 | 5/14 | 1 |
| Hasan Ali | 57 | 72 | 5/30 | 1 |
| Mohammad Amir | 62 | 71 | 4/13 | 0 |
Interestingly, before becoming Pakistan’s top wicket-taker in T20Is, Shaheen had already broken another impressive record. He went past Tim Southee for the most T20I wickets taken in the powerplay.
Southee ended his career with 58 powerplay wickets. Shaheen, playing his 102nd T20I for Pakistan, now has 60 wickets in the first six overs of an innings.
With records tumbling and big performances coming in crunch games, Shaheen continues to prove why he remains one of Pakistan’s most dangerous weapons in the shortest format.
Meanwhile, fans on social media hailed the performance of Shaheen Shah Afridi. Check out the best reactions:
Check out the reactions of fans:
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