New Delhi: Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah during a practice session ahead of the second T20 International cricket match between India and Bangladesh at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)
Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah on Monday announced his retirement from the T20Is. The third match in Hyderabad will be his last match in this format.
“I have no regrets, not a single bit. I think playing for Bangladesh for so many years, is quite a good thing personally. As much as I’ve played T20Is, I probably made my debut in 2007, it’s been 17 years. I don’t know how good I could do for the team, but I tried my level best. I tried to serve the team.”
The 38-year-old made his debut in this format in 2007 against Kenya and has played 139 matches. He is just behind Rohit Sharma (157), and the Ireland duo Paul Stirling (147) and George Dockrell (141).
The 38-year-old made his debut in this format in 2007 against Kenya and has played 139 matches
Mahmudullah had previously retired from Tests in 2021 but has maintained that he will continue to feature in ODIs. The veteran was Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in the 2023 Men’s World Cup in India with 328 runs.
“Actually I decided before coming here. I had talked with my family, captain and coach. And with the chief selector and the BCB president as well that I’m retiring from this format. I think it’s the right time to move on from this format and try to focus on the ODIs. It’s the right time for the team to look forward to the next World Cup,” he said.
Reflecting on the highs and lows in his T20I career, Mahmudullah termed the 2016 T20 World Cup defeat to India as the most frustrating moment while the Nidahas Trophy in 2018 was his favourite moment, where he amassed 43 off 18 balls as Bangladesh pipped hosts Sri Lanka to reach the final.
“The most frustrating moment was the loss to India in the 2016 World Cup in Bengaluru. It was a life-changing moment for me and taught me a lot. The best moment came in the Nidahas Trophy,” he said.
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Pratyush Raj is a sports journalist with The Indian Express Group and specializes in breaking news stories and conducting in-depth investigative reports for the paper. His passion extends to crafting engaging content for the newspaper’s website. Pratyush takes a keen interest in writing on cricket and hockey. He started his career with the financial daily Business Standard but soon followed his true calling as Times of India’s sports reporter for Punjab in Chandigarh, a job that required extensive travel to states such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. He has also contributed to the sports coverage of India Today Group. Pratyush’s love for sports blossomed during his upbringing in flood-prone Saharsa, a district in North Bihar, where ‘Cricket Samrat’ was his cherished companion. … Read More
First uploaded on: 08-10-2024 at 20:07 IST
