Bangladesh Cricket is poised to bid farewell to one of its most accomplished players in the shortest format, as Mahmudullah prepares to retire. His extraordinary T20I career, which has spanned more than 17 years, is coming to a close.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, he has communicated his decision to the appropriate authorities in Bangladesh cricket and will continue to participate in ODIs. The report included a statement from the Bangladeshi all-rounder, in which he expressed, “ I am retiring from T20I cricket after the last game of this series. I was pre-decided before coming here (India). 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.”
The report highlights that Mahmudullah considers the loss to India in the 2016 T20 World Cup his most disappointing moment, while his fondest memory stems from winning the Nidahas Trophy semifinal in 2018. During that match, he delivered a crucial performance, scoring 43 runs off just 18 balls, which helped Bangladesh secure a thrilling win against the host nation, Sri Lanka, even though they later lost in the final. He finished the tournament with an impressive strike rate of 157.38.
Mahmudullah made his T20I debut in 2007 against Kenya and has since established himself as a vital figure in Bangladesh’s cricketing history. His tenure in the shortest format is notable, ranking as the third-longest in T20I history, surpassed only by teammate Shakib Al Hasan and Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams. Throughout his 139 T20I matches, Mahmudullah has accumulated 2,395 runs at a strike rate of 117.74, in addition to taking 40 wickets with the ball.
