Shaheen Afridi Equals Angelo Mathews’ T20 World Cup Record

By Aftab Ahmed • February 25, 2026

In a standout performance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi matched a prestigious record held by former Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews.

Afridi took a wicket with the very first ball of the innings against England at Pallekele, marking his eighth such dismissal in T20 World Cup history, the highest by any bowler alongside Mathews.

The dismissal came early as Afridi bowled England captain Jos Buttler, who struggled for form throughout the tournament.

Buttler was caught off guard by a delivery that angled across him, resulting in an under-edge that was cleanly caught by the wicketkeeper. This early breakthrough disrupted England’s opening partnership and continued their poor start to innings in the tournament.

England’s top order had previously recorded low scores of 5, 38, 2, 21, 16, and 0 in earlier matches, highlighting ongoing issues with their starts.

In this match, England faced a target of 165 runs set by Pakistan after the hosts posted 164 runs batting first. Pakistan’s innings, however, showed signs of struggle as momentum was lost in the middle overs due to effective spin bowling from England.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam contributed 25 runs off 24 balls before being dismissed by Jamie Overton.

Fakhar Zaman also failed to find rhythm and was dismissed by Adil Rashid, putting pressure on Pakistan’s middle and lower order. Despite brief aggressive spells from Shadab Khan and Usman Khan, Pakistan’s innings lacked a strong finish as wickets fell regularly.

England’s bowlers Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, and Jamie Overton made early inroads, dismissing key Pakistani batsmen and maintaining control throughout the innings. Afridi narrowly missed a hat-trick but remained a key threat in the bowling attack.

Although Pakistan set a competitive total, England managed to chase it down with a thrilling two-wicket victory, securing their place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals. Jofra Archer sealed the win with a boundary off the first ball he faced in the final moments of the match.

Shaheen Afridi’s achievement of equalling Angelo Mathews’ record for most first-ball wickets in T20 World Cups underscores his impact as a leading fast bowler in the format. His ability to strike early continues to be a vital asset for Pakistan in high-stakes matches.