Mushfiqur Rahim, the most seasoned ODI player for Bangladesh, has declared his retirement from this format. He shared this decision on his Facebook page, a week after Bangladesh returned from the Champions Trophy, where they unfortunately did not secure any victories.
Rahim concludes his ODI career as Bangladesh’s second-highest run-scorer, accumulating 7795 runs at an average of 36.42. His record includes nine centuries and 49 half-centuries in 274 matches. Notably, he is among the select few wicketkeepers globally to have participated in over 250 ODIs, and his tally of seven centuries ranks fourth among wicketkeepers, only surpassed by Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist, and MS Dhoni.
Mushfiqur’s recent form had been a topic of discussion, particularly during the Champions Trophy. He faced criticism after being dismissed for a golden duck against India and scoring just 2 runs against New Zealand. His last ODI half-century was against Sri Lanka in March of the previous year. He also missed two ODIs against Afghanistan in November and the West Indies tour in November and December due to injury.
“I am announcing my retirement from the ODI format starting today,” Mushfiqur stated on his Facebook page. “I am grateful for everything. Despite limited global achievements, I always dedicated myself fully to my country, giving more than 100% with dedication and honesty. The past weeks have been challenging, leading me to believe this is the right path.”
He further added, “Lastly, I want to express my sincere gratitude to my family, friends, and fans, for whom I have played cricket for the past 19 years.”
Considered a legend in Bangladesh’s ODI history, Mushfiqur first gained recognition during the 2007 World Cup, chosen over veteran Khaled Mashud. He quickly justified this selection by scoring a fifty in a memorable win against India in Trinidad. Mushfiqur became a consistent middle-order batsman and remained a key member of the Bangladesh team for nearly two decades, except for a brief period in 2008 when he was out of the team.
Mushfiqur also holds the record for the most consecutive ODIs played for Bangladesh, with 92 matches between 2010 and 2016.
He had previously retired from T20Is after the 2022 T20 World Cup. He is currently nearing the milestone of 100 Test matches, aiming to be the first Bangladeshi player to achieve this.
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