Pakistan’s Sufiyan Muqeem Equals Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Elite Record, Becomes 4th Bowler To…

Pakistani spinner Sufiyan Muqeem entered his name in history books on Tuesday (December 3) by becoming the first Pakistani and fourth bowler overall among full member nations to take a five-wicket haul in T20Is by conceding less than five runs. The 25-year-old cricketer achieved the feat during the second T20I of the ongoing three-match series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Muqeem, who was playing his seventh T20I for Men in Green on Tuesday, finished the match with figures of 5 for 3 in 2.4 overs.

Former Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath was the first bowler to dismiss five batters by conceding less than five runs in a T20I match. He achieved the feat during the Sri Lanka-New Zealand match played in Chattogram on March 31, 2014. In that match he finished with figures of 5 for 3 in 3.3 overs. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan joined him in the elite list on March 10, 2017, by getting rid of five Ireland batters for three runs in two overs.

India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the only pacer among full member nations to take a five-wicket haul in T20Is by conceding less than five runs. During the India-Afghanistan Asia Cup 2022 match played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 8, 2022, Bhuvneshwar picked up five wickets for four runs in four overs.

By getting rid of five Zimbabwe batters for three runs on Tuesday, Muqeem also broke Umar Gul’s all-time record to register the best bowling figures for Pakistan in the shortest format of the game. Gul, who finished his T20I career with 85 wickets in 60 matches, dismissed five batters for six runs on two occasions.

He first achieved the feat against New Zealand during the 2009 T20 World Cup match played at The Oval on June 13, 2009, and then on March 3, 2013, as well, during a T20I match played at SuperSport Park in Centurion, he got rid of five South African batters for just six runs in three overs.

Thanks to Muqeem’s super show with the ball on Tuesday, Pakistan managed to dismiss Zimbabwe for just 57 runs in 12.4 overs and then chased down the 58-run target in 5.3 overs without losing any wickets to secure a big win by 10 wickets.