Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim has announced his retirement from T20 internationals on Sunday.
The veteran cricketer has been one of the modern greats in Bangladesh cricket and has represented the nation in every single edition of the World Cup till now. However, he will not be part of the squad that will heading over to Australia this year.
Rahim announced the decision on his official Twitter account and said that he will be looking to focus on Test and ODI formats of the game from now on. The 35-year-old also said that he will be available to play in franchise cricket leagues going forward. Rahim concluded his announcement by saying that he is looking forward to representing Bangladesh in ODIs and Tests.
"I would like to announce my retirement from T20 INTERNATIONALS and focus on Test and ODI formats of the game. I will be available to play franchise leagues when the opportunity arrives. Looking forward to proudly represent my nation in the two formats-MR15," said Rahim in his statement.
I would like to announce my retirement from T20 INTERNATIONALS and focus on Test and ODI formats of the game. I will be available to play franchise leagues when the opportunity arrives. Looking forward to proudly represent my nation in the two formats-MR15
— Mushfiqur Rahim (@mushfiqur15) September 4, 2022
The decision comes after Bangladesh crashed out of the Asia Cup without a win to their name in the tournament. The 35-year-old wickerkeeper only managed to score only five runs from both the matches.
Rahim retires from the format having played 102 matches for Bangladesh. He has scored 1500 runs in his T20I career, with six fifties to his name and a highest score of 72 not out.
After having a great run in 2018, the 35-year-old wicketkeeper has been going through a rough patch in the shortest format of the game, which was evident from his outing in the Asia Cup.
This is the second major blow for Bangladesh as they head into this year's T20 World Cup. Earlier in the year, tamim Iqbal also announced his decision to retire from T20Is to concentrate on the longer formats of the game.