Joe Root and Rashid Khan's achievements

In the past week, cricket saw two significant milestones achieved by two modern icons with contrasting styles: Joe Root and Rashid Khan. Despite their limited direct encounters—just 16 deliveries in professional cricket—both have marked their names in history.

During England’s third Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston, Joe Root became the seventh player to reach 12,000 Test runs. At 33 years and 210 days, he is the second-youngest to achieve this, slightly older than his former captain Alastair Cook. With several years potentially ahead, Root could set his sights on Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 Test runs.

Meanwhile, in Manchester, Rashid Khan reached his 600th T20 wicket while playing for Trent Rockets in The Hundred. He is only the second bowler to do so, after Dwayne Bravo. Rashid achieved this milestone in nine years and 438 innings, compared to Bravo’s 16 years and 538 innings. At just 25, Rashid is already a T20 legend and could target the elusive 1,000 T20 wickets.

Joe Root’s Consistency

Root, with 143 Tests—14th highest ever—has been a stalwart among the current generation of batsmen, including the ‘Fab 4’ (Kohli, Smith, Williamson). Since his debut in December 2012, England has played the most Tests (145), and Root has missed only two. His consistency is highlighted by his performance from 2011 to 2020, where he scored the most runs (7,823) in 177 innings, and since 2021, he has accumulated 4,204 runs in just 84 innings, doubling his fifty-to-hundred conversion rate.

Rashid Khan’s T20 Dominance

Rashid’s T20 career is marked by exceptional consistency. In 442 matches, he has maintained an economy rate of 6.47 and has the most bowled dismissals among all T20 bowlers. His career figures include 196 bowled dismissals, showcasing his skill and precision. Rashid’s achievements across various leagues and conditions underscore his potential to reach 1,000 T20 wickets.

Both Root and Rashid, with their current form and age, are well-positioned to pursue even more ambitious records. Their future success will depend on their fitness, longevity, and continued hunger for the game.