Adil Rashid climbs T20 charts and heads into Pallekele Super 8 as trend spikes

adil rashid is trending on Google Trends on February 24, 2026 after the England spinner overtook Lasith Malinga in the ICC T20 World Cup wicket charts and arrives at the Super 8 meeting with Pakistan two wickets shy of 160 T20I scalps ahead of the match scheduled at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on February 24.

Adil Rashid overtook Malinga in T20 World Cup history

The 38-year-old spin veteran moved past Lasith Malinga to become the joint fifth-highest wicket-taker in ICC T20 World Cup history after a 2/13 spell in 3. 4 overs against Sri Lanka in a massive win at Pallekele on February 22. In T20 World Cup play, Rashid now has 39 wickets in 35 matches since his debut in 2009, with a tournament average of 22. 66 and best figures of 4/2; he has two four-fers in his T20 World Cup career. Malinga finished with 38 wickets in 31 matches from 2007-2014 at an average of 20. 07 and a five-wicket haul to his name.

England posted 146 and Sri Lanka were skittled for 95

Sri Lanka won the toss and bowled first; their attack removed England’s top order — Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook and Sam Curran — leaving England 94/5 in 13. 2 overs. Phil Salt countered with a valiant 62 off 40 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes, and Will Jacks added a quick 21 off 14 with four boundaries to push England to 146/9 in 20 overs. Dunith Wellalage returned 3/26 in four overs and Maheesh Theekshana 2/21 in four overs for Sri Lanka; Dilshan Madushanka took 2/25 in four overs and Dushmantha Chameera 1/34 in four overs while defending 146.

Spin and support bowling sealed the chase

England’s bowlers chased Sri Lanka down, with Will Jacks taking 3/22, Liam Dawson 2/27 in four overs and Jofra Archer 2/20 in three overs. Adil Rashid finished with 2/13 in 3. 4 overs as England bowled Sri Lanka out for 95 in 16. 4 overs on February 22 at Pallekele.

Closing in on 160 T20I wickets ahead of Pallekele Super 8 match

Ahead of the Super 8 match set for February 24 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, one report notes Rashid on 158 T20I wickets and two wickets shy of 160 scalps. That same 158-wicket total appears elsewhere in the provided context with different match counts; the context lists 142 T20I games in one place and 126 matches in another, which is unclear in the provided context. Rashid’s best bowling figures in the format are 4/2, and he will become the first player to reach 160 T20I wickets for England if he takes the two wickets needed.

Where he sits in wider T20I rankings and why he is trending

In overall T20I wicket lists given in the provided context, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan tops the list with 193 wickets in 115 matches and best figures of 5/3; New Zealand’s Tim Southee is on 164 wickets in 126 matches and Ish Sodhi on 162 wickets in 138 matches. One note in the provided context also states that Rashid levelled with Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman to become joint-fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20Is with 158 wickets, with best figures of 6/10, and three four-wicket hauls and two five-fors in T20I cricket. The spike in Google Trends on February 24, 2026 coincides with these milestones and the upcoming Super 8 match in Kandy. A separate item in the provided context describes an automated LatestLY News Bot as a program built to interact with questions and provide fact-checks and latest news.

Other headlines from the same match window

• Brook’s counter-attacking ton etches his name in history and helped England into the semis; Pakistan crashed out.
• Jindal Panthers beat Mallet Masters in the Jindal Polo Estate Cup inaugural match.
• Santner spoke ahead of New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Super 8s battle.
• Babar Azam registered the lowest strike rate in men’s T20 World Cup history in a noted match.

England’s next confirmed fixture in the provided context is the Super 8 match against Pakistan at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on February 24; that match is the immediate event tied to Rashid’s run toward 160 T20I wickets.