Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah Announces T20I Retirement

Bangladesh’s veteran all-rounder Mahmudullah has declared his retirement from T20 International cricket, aiming to concentrate on One Day Internationals (ODIs). His final appearance in the T20I format will be against India on Saturday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

In a pre-match press conference held before the second T20I in New Delhi, Mahmudullah shared that his decision was “pre-decided” and felt timely. “Yes, I am retiring from the T20I format after this series. It was pre-decided. I had discussed it with the board and my family. It’s the right time for me to move on and I am going to focus on the upcoming ODI matches,” he explained.

The last T20I clash between Bangladesh and India in the national capital took place on November 3, 2019, when Bangladesh secured a memorable 7-wicket victory. Mahmudullah reminisced about that match, recalling how he hit a significant six to seal the win. “The 2019 game was special. It was a great start for us. When I walked onto the ground today, I remembered our win, and hopefully, we will put up a great show tomorrow as well,” he added.

Over his career, Mahmudullah has adapted to various roles for Bangladesh, helping his team achieve crucial victories. At 38, he expressed no regrets about his ever-changing position within the squad. “I never regretted playing for Bangladesh at any number. It was the team’s demand and I always kept the team ahead of myself,” he stated.

After a disappointing Test series, Bangladesh faced another setback as a young Indian team steamrolled Bangladesh with a 7-wicket win in Gwalior. Mahmudullah called for his teammates to break free from their current struggles and embrace fearless cricket in the remaining matches. “The bowling unit has been performing excellently for the last few years. We were outclassed in the last game by India, but we want to come out of that zone and play better cricket,” he stressed.

Mahmudullah has played 139 T20I matches, scoring 2,395 runs at a strike rate of 117.74 and taking 40 wickets.