UAE captain shatters Jos Buttler's T20I record, overtakes Rohit Sharma, David Warner in elite list

UAE captain Muhammad Waseem zooms past Rohit Sharma and Jos Buttler in elite list. (Photo: BCCI/X/England Cricket)

United Arab Emirates skipper Muhammad Waseem has etched his name in the record books by becoming the quickest batter to reach 3000 runs in T20I cricket. Waseem reached the milestone in just 1,947 balls, surpassing England’s Jos Buttler, who previously held the record at 2,068 balls.

This remarkable feat also placed Waseem ahead of several modern-day greats. Former Aaron Finch took 2,077 balls, David Warner needed 2,113 balls, and Rohit Sharma reached the mark in 2,149 balls. Waseem’s achievement highlights his explosive batting prowess and consistency at the top order for UAE.

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In the recent Asia Cup clash against Oman, captain Muhammad Waseem and opener Alishan Sharafu struck impressive half-centuries to help their side set a total of 172 for five in their group-stage fixture on Monday.

Batting first, Sharafu scored 51 while Waseem top-scored with 69, the pair putting together a solid 88-run partnership in the first 11 overs. Later, Muhammad Zohaib (21) and Harshit Kaushik (19) added valuable runs to boost the total.

After a cautious first over, Sharafu broke free with a boundary through a crowded off-side field off Shah Faisal, while Shakeel Ahmed kept things tight from the other end. Gaining confidence, Sharafu took on Faisal, lofting him over mid-on and cutting a wide ball for back-to-back fours.

At the other end, Waseem—renowned as UAE’s most destructive batter—launched into Aamir Kaleem in his first over, striking three boundaries as the veteran left-arm spinner leaked 14 runs.

Sharafu maintained the momentum by stepping out to Hassnain Shah, cracking three consecutive fours. Their attacking approach propelled UAE to 50 without loss at the end of the powerplay.

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On the bowling side, Jiten Ramanandi claimed 2 wickets for 24 runs, while Samay Shrivastava chipped in with 1 for 38 for Oman.