Rashid Khan Becomes Youngest No. 1 ODI Bowler: 19-year-old Leg Spinner Only Teenager To Rank First in ICC Rankings
With Afghanistan’s promotion to Full Membership and entry into Test Cricket, Rashid Khan would be eyeing to align his name with the greats of the game.
Rashid Khan, the 19-year-old wonder, from Afghanistan has taken the Cricket fraternity by a storm. As per the latest ICC ODI Bowler rankings, Rashid Khan is now No. 1 bowler in the world. The leg-spinner has now become the youngest player ever – and the only teenager – to reach the top of MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings. At only 7,092 days of age (approx. 19 years), the spin-sensation has become the youngest No. 1 ever in Men’s ranking history.
Known for puzzling batsmen with his accurate 'Googlies’, Rashid was also awarded the ICC Associate Player of the Year 2017, in January this year. With this achievement, the spinner has added another feather in his already studded cap. Rashid broke Saqlain Mushtaq’s record which was intact for over 20 years. Saqlain was 7,683 days of age when he had then become the youngest No. 1 ODI bowler in 1998.
The news came in after Afghanistan completed a comprehensive series victory over Zimbabwe on February 19. Afghanistan won the One Day International (ODI) series 4-1, where Rashid was the highest wicket-taker. He took a major chunk of wickets, 16, in the five-match ODI series at a meager average of 7.9, and gave away only 127 runs in the entire series.
We at LatestLY, bring to you a list of players who held the record of youngest men ever to achieve numero uno status in Men’s Rankings.
| Player | Country | Table | Age (in days) | Year |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | ODI bowlers | 7,092 | 2018 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq | Pakistan | ODI bowlers | 7,683 | 1998 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | Test batsmen | 7,878 | 1994 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | ODI all-rounders | 7,976 | 2009 |
| Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | ODI bowlers | 8,040 | 2017 |
| Garry Sobers | West Indies | Test batsmen | 8,191 | 1959 |
| Don Bradman | Australia | Test batsmen | 8,219 | 1931 |
| Maninder Singh | India | ODI bowlers | 8,228 | 1987 |
| Ian Botham | England | Test all-rounders | 8,239 | 1978 |
| George Lohmann | England | Test bowlers | 8,288 | 1888 |
Rashid Khan has bowled magical spells for his country and has bamboozled batsmen around the globe. His exploits are not only limited to his home team; the major part of his stardom comes from his participation in the various T20 leagues that he is a part of. Rashid has played for a lot of teams – Adelaide Strikers, Band-e-Amir Dragons, Comilla Victorians, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Kabul Eagles, and Sunrisers Hyderabad – around the world and has achieved enormous success.
It will be interesting to see how the 19-year-old manages success and whether he be able to replicate it on the international front. With Afghanistan’s promotion to Full Membership and entry into Test Cricket, Rashid Khan would be eyeing to align his name with the greats of the game.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 20, 2018 05:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).