Decoding best bowling figures for Afghanistan in Test cricket
What's the story
Rashid Khan, the veteran leg-spinner, recently became the first Afghanistan bowler to script two seven-wicket hauls in Test cricket.
Rashid attained this feat as Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe in the second Test in Bulawayo by 72 runs.
The leg-spinner's 7/66 stopped Zimbabwe from chasing down 278. They were folded for 205.
Here we present the best bowling figures for Afghanistan in Test cricket.
5
Rashid Khan - 5/55 vs Bangladesh, 2019
Rashid Khan's 5/55 against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2019 takes the fifth position on this elite list.
This was the one-off Test of Afghanistan's tour to Bangladesh that year.
Despite being handed a difficult task on a batting-friendly wicket, Rashid proved to be the star performer for Afghanistan by claiming five wickets and limiting Bangladesh to mere 205 runs in the second innings.
The leg-spinner's brilliance meant Afghanistan, who posted 342/10 batting first, prevailed by 224 runs.
#4
Amir Hamza - 6/75 vs Zimbabwe, 2021
Left-arm spinner Amir Hamza claims the fourth spot with his brilliant spell of 6/75 against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi in 2021.
Despite Afghanistan's batting collapse in both innings, Hamza's brilliant bowling effort restricted Zimbabwe to 250 runs in their first innings.
However, even his commendable effort couldn't save Afghanistan from losing the Test by 10 wickets.
#3
Rashid Khan - 6/49 vs Bangladesh, 2019
Rashid takes the third spot with his 6/49 against Bangladesh in Chattogram, in the second innings of the same Test in 2019.
Asked to defend a target of 398 runs, Rashid once again spearheaded Afghanistan's bowling attack with six wickets.
His brilliant performance was instrumental in Afghanistan's emphatic 224-run win over Bangladesh.
The leggie hence became the first Afghanistan bowler to script a match 10-fer in Tests.
#2
Rashid Khan - 7/137 vs Zimbabwe, 2021
Rashid also occupies the second position courtsey his 7/137 against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi, in a 2021 Test.
Although the match was overshadowed by Hashmatullah Shahidi's double century, Rashid lit up the day with his bowling by breaking Zimbabwe's batting order.
His brilliant show helped Afghanistan bundle Zimbabwe for 365 runs in their second innings and win on the fifth day.
#1
Rashid Khan - 7/66 vs Zimbabwe, 2025
Rashid's recent outing against Zimbabwe saw him script the best bowling figures by an Afghanistan bowler in Test cricket.
As mentioned, he claimed figures worth 7/66 in the fourth inning of the recent Bulawayo Test.
The sensational spell saw him pick seven wickets in just 27.3 overs, restricting the hosts to a paltry 205 runs.
Not only did he win the Player of the Match award, but also helped Afghanistan record a 72-run triumph.