New Delhi, Oct 8
Mahmudullah, the veteran Bangladeshi cricketer, has announced his retirement from T20 internationals following the conclusion of the ongoing bilateral series against India. The 38-year-old made this decision public during a press conference ahead of the second T20I in Delhi, revealing that he had informed the Bangladesh cricket authorities beforehand.
Although stepping away from T20Is, Mahmudullah intends to continue his career in one-day internationals, recognizing the need to focus on preparations for the upcoming World Cup.
"I am retiring from T20I cricket after the last game of this series. I was pre-decided before coming here. I had a chat with my family. I spoke to the coach [Chandika Hathurusinghe], captain [Najmul Hossain Shanto], chief selector [Gazi Ashraf Hossain] and the board president [Faruque Ahmed] as well. I think it is the right time to move on from this format for me and the team. Especially with the World Cup coming up in less than two years. I will concentrate on the one-day game," said Mahmuddulah in the press conference.
The 38-year-old right-handed batter had represented Bangladesh in 139 T20 Internationals and scored 2,395 runs at a strike rate of 117.74 during a career that spanned over 17 years.
Mahmudullah retires as one of the format's most accomplished players ranking him among the all-time greats. He leaves a legacy as Bangladesh's second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, behind Shakib Al Hasan.
This news follows weeks after Shakib Al-Hasan, the man with the most appearances in a Bangladesh shirt, had announced his retirement from Test cricket. Both Shakib and Mahmuduallah will still play for the national team in One Day Internationals and are expected to continue playing in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
India had defeated Bangladesh in the first game of the ongoing three-game series by seven wickets in what was a dominant victory for the T20 World Champions. The two sides will play the second game of the series on Wednesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.