Shaheen Afridi achieves major T20I milestone

Shaheen Afridi breaks Shahid Afridi's record in T20Is.

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Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has become the third Pakistani cricketer to take 100 wickets in T20 International (T20I) cricket, achieving the milestone during a match against South Africa in Durban on Monday.

Shaheen Afridi, who had been just one wicket away from breaking the record, surpassed his father-in-law Shahid Afridi’s tally of 97 wickets with his 98th wicket.

He then claimed two more wickets, taking his total to 100 in T20Is.

With this feat, Shaheen Afridi joins a group of Pakistani bowlers who have reached the 100-wicket mark in T20I cricket.

In the match, Shaheen Afridi claimed the wickets of Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, and Nkaba Yomzi Peter.

His performance helped Pakistan in their efforts to gain dominance over South Africa in the ongoing series.

Afridi's achievement places him alongside some of Pakistan’s most iconic bowlers.

Haris Rauf leads the list with 110 wickets in T20I cricket, followed by Shadab Khan, who has taken 107 wickets. Shahid Afridi, with 97 wickets, previously held the record, which Shaheen Afridi has now surpassed.

South Africa beat Pakistan in first T20I

Spinner George Linde took four wickets, plus scored 48 runs off 24 balls with the bat, to lead South Africa to an 11-run win over Pakistan in the first of their Twenty20 internationals at Kingsmead on Tuesday.

Linde ensured South Africa, who won the toss and chose to bat first, set a tough target as they made 183-9 off their 20 overs. Pakistan were 172-8 in reply, falling short of the target.

David Miller top scored for South Africa with 82 off 40 runs in a swashbuckling innings that included four sixes and eight fours. Linde then took 4-21 in four overs, but was denied a hat-trick when his last ball was initially adjudged to have trapped Haris Rauf leg before wicket. The decision was overturned on review when the ball tracker said the ball would have missed the leg stump.

Pakistan were always struggling to keep up the required run rate despite captain Mohamed Rizwan batting through to the last over before being dismissed for 74.

The two teams meet next in Pretoria on Friday and then again on Saturday at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Next week the two countries will meet in a three-match One Day International series.