Shaheen Afridi achieves rare feat in T20 cricket

Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi has achieved a remarkable milestone in T20 cricket, becoming the first bowler in the shortest format to take 50 wickets in his first over.

Afridi achieved this feat during the fifth match of the T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand in Lahore, when he dismissed Tom Blundell in the opening over as Pakistan were defending a target of 179 runs.

The left-arm pacer paid a tribute to Shoaib Akhtar, who was in the stadium, by celebrating the wicket in the trademark style of Rawalpindi Express.

Afridi's tally of 50 first-over wickets puts him at the top of the list. He leads the pack, followed by India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 43 wickets. Following Afridi and Kumar are England's David Willey with 41, and Pakistan's Mohammad Amir and Sohail Tanvir with 38 and 35 first-over wickets, respectively.

Afridi's ability to strike early in matches has been a key asset for Pakistan, providing them with crucial breakthroughs and setting the tone for the rest of the innings.