In the ongoing match against Bangladesh in the Super Four Stage of the 2023 Asia Cup, fast bowler Haris Rauf achieved a significant milestone by becoming the joint-third fastest Pakistani bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets.
He accomplished this feat in his 27th ODI match, matching the record held by the legendary fast bowler Waqar Younis. Haris Rauf reached his 50th wicket when the opening batter from Bangladesh attempted a pull shot, resulting in a top-edge catch taken by the bowler.
Furthermore, Haris Rauf also holds the distinction of having the highest strike rate among Pakistani bowlers in ODIs.
Third-fastest Pakistan bowler to 5️⃣0️⃣ ODI wickets! 🙌@HarisRauf14 roars with his pace upfront 🔥#PAKvBAN | #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/m32aPc7OxH
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 6, 2023
However, it’s worth noting that the record for the fastest to reach 50 ODI wickets for Pakistan is still held by Hasan Ali, achieved in 24 matches, followed closely by Shaheen Afridi, who achieved it in 25 matches.
During the match, Haris Rauf played a pivotal role in restricting Bangladesh to a modest total of 193 runs within 40 overs. He concluded his bowling spell with impressive figures of 4-19 in six overs, which included the crucial dismissal of Bangladesh’s top scorer, Mushfiqur Rahim.
In the 38th over, Haris Rauf struck again, dealing a double blow to Bangladesh, including the prized wicket of wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur.
Haris Rauf’s twin wickets pushed Bangladesh further back, reducing them to 190/8. Naseem Shah replicated this feat in the following over by dismissing Afif Hossain and Shoriful Islam, concluding Bangladesh’s innings.