Mustafizur becomes Bangladesh’s leading T20I wicket-taker
Playing his 118th T20I, Mustafizur moved past Shakib’s tally. Currently, the “Cutter Master” has 150 wickets to his name.
The wait was only for one wicket. In the Asia Cup Super Four clash against India, once Mustafizur Rahman dismissed Suryakumar Yadav, that wait was over. The left-arm seamer has now overtaken Shakib Al Hasan to become Bangladesh's highest wicket-taker in T20 internationals.
Playing his 118th T20I, Mustafizur moved past Shakib's tally. Currently, the "Cutter Master" has 150 wickets to his name. Until now, Shakib held the record with 149 wickets from 129 matches. Mustafizur needed 11 fewer games to surpass the star all-rounder and former Bangladesh captain.
In the Super Four opener against Sri Lanka, Mustafizur had taken 3 for 20 to draw level with Shakib, and it did not take him long to claim the record outright. Since making his T20I debut against Pakistan at Mirpur's Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in April 2015, the Satkhira pacer has consistently showcased his skills, earning particular renown for his accuracy and guile in the death overs.
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With Shakib no longer a regular presence in Bangladesh's T20 side, Mustafizur's record looks likely to stand for some time. The next on the list is Taskin Ahmed, who has 99 wickets from 81 matches. Sheikh Mahedi Hasan sits fourth with 61 wickets, while left-arm seamer Shoriful Islam rounds off the top five with 58.
