DHAKA, Oct 17, 2021 (BSS) - Shakib Al Hasan finally eclipsed Sri
Lanka's Lasith Malings to be the highest wicket-taker in T20
International cricket after claiming two wickets against Scotland in
Bangladesh's Twenty20 World Cup opener today at Al Amerat Cricket
Ground in Muscat, Oman.

   Shakib started the match, needing two wickets to grab the record
and he didn't keep the fans waiting. He ended with bowling figure of
4-0-17-2 to also make sure he would come back into the form after his
poor showing with cherry in IPL final for Kolkata Knight Riders.

   He however could have claimed the record in the home series against
New Zealand but fell two wickets short after snapping up four wickets.
The ace allrounder however didn't play the last match of the
five-match series against Kiwis, that Bangladesh won by 3-2. He in
fact remained wicket-less in the third and fourth match of that
series.

   He leveled Malinga's 107 wickets, claiming prized scalp of Richie
Berrington, who struck a century to help Scotland win against
Bangladesh by 34 runs in 2012. That was the only game between the two
teams in this format before this World Cup game.

  Shakib then didn't wait too long to go past Malinga. Two balls after
dismissing Berrington, he baffled Michael Leask, slowing up the pace
and got him for naught. His 108 wickets came off just 89 T20
International matches. Malinga played 84 matches for his 107 wickets.

  The two wickets also made him the only player in this planet to
score 12,000 runs and claim 600 wickets simultaneously in
international cricket.

   But another big record also beckons Shakib. After grabbing two
wickets in the first match, he now needs eight wickets more to surpass
Shahid Afrifi's 39 wickets and becomes the highest wicket-taker in T20
World Cup history.