Bangladesh Cricket is set to bid farewell to one of its finest T20I players, as Mahmudullah prepares to retire after an impressive 17-year career in the format.
According to ESPNcricinfo, he has informed the relevant authorities in Bangladesh cricket of his decision and will continue to play ODIs.
In a statement, Mahmudullah said, “I am retiring from T20I cricket after the last game of this series. This was pre-decided before coming here to India. I discussed it with my family, the coach [Chandika Hathurusinghe], captain [Najmul Hossain Shanto], chief selector [Gazi Ashraf Hossain], and board president [Faruque Ahmed]. I believe it’s the right time to transition away from this format, especially with the World Cup approaching in less than two years. I will focus on the one-day game.”
The report notes that Mahmudullah considers the loss to India in the 2016 T20 World Cup as his most disappointing moment, while his highlight was winning the Nidahas Trophy semifinal in 2018, where he scored 43 runs off just 18 balls to lead Bangladesh to victory against Sri Lanka, despite losing in the final.
He finished that tournament with an impressive strike rate of 157.38.Making his T20I debut in 2007 against Kenya, Mahmudullah has become a pivotal figure in Bangladesh’s cricketing narrative.
His T20I career is notable for being the third-longest in history, surpassed only by teammate Shakib Al Hasan and Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams. Over 139 T20I matches, he amassed 2,395 runs at a strike rate of 117.74, alongside taking 40 wickets.