2024-06-30 08:15:02
NEW DELHI: Bangladesh’s veteran Shakib Al Hasan on Saturday scripted history, becoming the first bowler ever to claim 50 wickets at T20 World Cups.
Featuring in the 9th edition of the cricketing extravaganza, Shakib achieved the milestone in his 42nd game.
Ending skipper Rohit Sharma‘s 11-ball 23 cameo amid India’s flying start, left-arm spinner Shakib got to the 50-wicket mark at the World Cup.
As Rohit tried to slog a Shakib full delivery away on the on-side, he got a thick top-edge which as the ball shot straight up. Jaker Ali judged the skier really well to hand his teammate the landmark wicket.
In the 42 T20 World Cup matches, Shakib has an average of 19.38 and a superb strike rate of 6.81 with the ball.
The list of most wickets, leader Shakib is way ahead of others. The now retired Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi sits second on the list with 39 World Cup wickets in 34 outings.
Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga is third on the list with 38 wickets in 31 matches followed by countrymate Wanindu Hasaranga (37 wickets in 19 matches).
Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal occupies the fifth spot with 36 scalps in 23 games.
Earlier, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and sent India in to bat in their second Super Eight clash.
Victory for India would put them on the brink of the semi-finals while another loss for Bangladesh would effectively rule them out of contention for the last-four.
India beat Afghanistan by 47 runs in their Super Eight opener in Bridgetown while Bangladesh lost to Australia by 28 runs in a rain-hit clash in Antigua.
India, the 2007 champions, named the same team that defeated Afghanistan on Thursday. For Bangladesh, seamer Taskin Ahmed is replaced by Jaker Ali as the team look to shore up a struggling batting line-up.
India have won all four T20 World Cup clashes against their Asian rival and boast an overall 12-1 head-to-head record.