Last update on: Thu Mar 6, 2025 03:12 AM
Bangladesh’s veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim drew the curtain on his ODI career, announcing the decision on his social media page late last night.
The murmurs had been growing over Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah Riyad’s careers in the past few days after Bangladesh’s early exit from the ongoing Champions Trophy. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), meanwhile, had delayed approval of a proposed central contract list, with the intention of discussing senior stars’ future plans before finalising central contracts.
There was an expectation that something might give, and finally, Mushfiqur announced the decision himself.
“I am announcing my retirement from the ODI format as of today. Alhamdulillah for everything. While our achievements may have been limited on a global level, one thing is certain: whenever I stepped onto the field for my country, I gave more than 100% with dedication and honesty,” the veteran star wrote on his Facebook.
A decorated player with 274 ODIs to his name, Mushfiqur holds the record for the most ODIs played for Bangladesh. The 37-year-old, hailing from Bogura, is only second behind Tamim Iqbal in terms of most ODI runs for the country, with 7,795 runs, featuring nine centuries and 49 fifties in the 50-over format, having debuted in August 2006.
“The last few weeks have been very challenging for me, and I have come to realise that this is my destiny,” wrote Mushfiqur.
Not just his batting, Mushfiqur’s wicket-keeping career boasts 297 dismissals in ODIs, finishing fifth in the all-time list behind the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist, MS Dhoni, and Mark Boucher.
The middle-order batter had also captained Bangladesh in 37 ODIs. With his retirement from ODIs, Mushfiqur will now only remain available in the Test format for the Tigers, having retired from T20Is in 2022.
Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto expressed his admiration for Mushfiqur on Facebook. “Bangladesh cricket will never forget your contribution,” wrote Shanto.