Shakib Al Hasan was all smiles after a stellar performance for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), as he reached the 500-wicket milestone in T20 cricket.
Playing against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, Shakib took three crucial wickets for just 11 runs in two overs and also executed a brilliant run out, helping restrict the visitors to 133 for 9.
Coming on to bowl in the 15th over at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Shakib dismissed Mohammad Rizwan in his first over, a wicket that marked his 500th in T20 cricket. He then returned in the following over to remove Kyle Mayers and Navin Vidyasee, completing a remarkable double-wicket spell. Antigua went on to set St Kitts a target of 134, and at the time of reporting, they were 32 without loss after 3.3 overs.
With this achievement, Shakib became the first Bangladeshi and only the fifth bowler worldwide to take 500 T20 wickets, joining Rashid Khan, Dwayne Bravo, Imran Tahir, and Sunil Narine. He also holds the distinction of being the only all-rounder in T20 history to score over 7,500 runs alongside 500 wickets, having amassed 7,549 runs in his 457-match career.
Reflecting on the milestone, Shakib said, “This is the result of a lot of hard work. I’m extremely happy to reach such a milestone. It’s been a long career, and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.” He added, “I felt a little nervous. There were negative thoughts around, and I didn’t get as many overs as usual. But whenever I have the opportunity to contribute to the team, that has always been my goal.”
Shakib also spoke about travelling with his family during the CPL: “My family usually accompanies me. With three children, it can be tough, especially with school schedules. Now it’s summer break, so they’ve come with me. As you get older, it’s more comfortable when your family is around.”