‘Be No. 1 again’: Rashid Khan’s honest reaction after ESPNcricinfo names him T20 GOAT

Mayank Bande

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‘Be No. 1 again’: Rashid Khan’s honest reaction after ESPNcricinfo names him T20 GOAT image

During the course of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, ESPNcricinfo listed out 25 greatest T20 stars in the history of the format.

For his all round contributions in T20 leagues around the world and playing a huge role in putting Afghanistan on the cricket map, Rashid Khan was ranked number 1 on the list.

During the T20 World Cup in 2024, he also led Afghanistan to an unprecedented run to the semi-final, which they lost to South Africa.

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Rashid Khan shared his thoughts on being named as the greatest T20 cricketer

In his illustrious career in the shortest format, Rashid has represented 16 teams in 12 different leagues to earn the reputation as the finest T20 player ever.

Here's how he reacted on being named number 1 in the list.

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"If you get that award, out of 25 players, you are the number one; people just don't give it to you. It means, you have done something special and unbelievable at different stages and different countries and that is how you get that kind of appreciation," he emphasized.

"It gives me so much energy and positivity, and I feel like that is important. It allow you to work harder and number one again," he concluded.

The wrist spinner, at just 26, boasts 651 T20 wickets in 482 matches at an average of 18.54 and an economy of 6.57. In 96 T20Is, he has 161 wickets to his name at an even better average of 13.80 and economy rate of 6.08 rpo.

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Time to time, the Afghan sensation also proves his worth with the bat, lower down the order with his swashbuckling long-range hitting.

He has 2646 T20 runs at a strike rate of 146.18 with 5 fifties to his name alongside 467 T20I runs at a slightly lower strike rate of 126.21, which has seen an improvement in recent years.

Mayank Bande

Mayank Bande has been a content producer at The Sporting News since 2023 and has extensive experience in cricket writing. His work has previously appeared on platforms like OneCricket and Last Word on Sports. Beyond cricket, Mayank closely follows football as an FC Barcelona supporter, along with tennis and Olympic sports. Despite holding a degree in Business Administration, he chose to pursue a career in sports, bringing sharp analysis to his writing as someone who once played cricket.