Mushfiqur Rahim retires from ODIs

Mushfiqur Rahim: "Whenever I stepped onto the field for my country, I gave more than 100% • ICC via Getty Images

Dhaka, March 6 — Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh's most experienced ODI player, has announced his retirement from the format. Mushfiqur made the announcement on his Facebook page, a week after Bangladesh returned home from a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign where they failed to win a game.

Mushfiqur finishes as Bangladesh's second-highest ODI run-getter with 7795 runs at an average of 36.42, with nine hundreds and 49 fifties from 274 matches. He is one of only five wicketkeepers to play more than 250 ODIs, and his seven centuries are the fourth-most by a keeper, behind only Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist and MS Dhoni.

Mushfiqur's form had been in the spotlight in recent times, though, and he came under more scrutiny during the Champions Trophy. Mushfiqur was out for a golden duck against India, and scored just 2 against New Zealand. His last ODI fifty was against Sri Lanka in March last year - he was injured for two ODIs against Afghanistan in November, and the West Indies tour in November and December.

"I am announcing my retirement from the ODI format as of today," Mushfiqur wrote on his official Facebook page. "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 last few weeks have been very challenging for me, and I have come to realize that this is my destiny.

"Lastly, I would like to deeply thank my family, friends and my fans for whom I have played cricket for the last 19 years."

Widely hailed as a giant in Bangladesh's ODI history, Mushfiqur first made a mark in the 2007 World Cup, when he was picked ahead of the veteran Khaled Mashud. He immediately repaid the selectors' faith, scoring a fifty in the famous victory against India in Trinidad. Mushfiqur quickly became a middle-order mainstay, and barring a brief spell in 2008 when he lost his place, he was a constant presence in Bangladesh sides for almost two decades.

Mushfiqur also holds the Bangladesh record for most consecutive ODIs, having played 92 matches between 2010 and 2016.

He retired from T20Is following the 2022 T20 World Cup. He is currently on 94 Tests, in line to become the first Bangladeshi to reach the 100-Test landmark.