Mahmudullah has announced his retirement from T20 International cricket, revealing that the ongoing series against India will be his last. The 38-year-old veteran made the announcement during a press conference on the eve of the second match in Delhi. He shared that he had already informed key figures in Bangladesh cricket, including the coach, captain, and board officials, of his decision, and plans to continue playing in ODIs.
"I have decided to retire from T20Is after this series. It was a decision made before I came here," Mahmudullah explained. He shared that after discussions with his family, coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, and chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain, he felt it was the right moment to step away from this format. With the upcoming World Cup less than two years away, he stated that his focus would now shift to one-day cricket.
Mahmudullah had previously retired from Test cricket three years ago during a game against Zimbabwe. His T20I career faced challenges when he was dropped from the squad for two years, missing 27 matches between 2022 and 2023. Although he made a comeback with a half-century against Sri Lanka earlier this year, his form dipped at the T20 World Cup, and he managed only one run in the first T20I against India.
As a former T20I captain, Mahmudullah leaves behind a legacy, retiring as the joint third-most-capped player in the format with 139 matches, just two short of George Dockrell’s 141. He is also Bangladesh’s second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, trailing only Shakib Al Hasan. However, he holds the unfortunate record of playing in the most losses in this format and became Bangladesh’s oldest T20I player earlier this year.
Mahmudullah's T20I journey will be remembered for his transformation into a powerful finisher nearly a decade after his debut. In 2016, Hathurusinghe assigned him the finisher role, a position he embraced by developing his ability to hit aerial shots. Reflecting on this period, Mahmudullah shared that he changed his approach during a training camp in Khulna ahead of the T20 World Cup in India. Batting at No. 6 or 7, he adapted his style to suit the challenging position, acknowledging that finishing a game is never easy, and failures often draw more attention than successes.
One of his standout moments came in 2018 when he played a crucial innings of 43 off 18 balls against Sri Lanka, leading Bangladesh to the Nidahas Trophy final amidst an umpiring controversy. In a tense final over, Mahmudullah secured victory by hitting Isuru Udana for a six off the penultimate ball.
"It’s a tough position to bat in T20Is. You have to be fearless, focus on hitting the ball, and not dwell on failure," he said, adding that both the coach and captain need to support players in that role.
Mahmudullah highlighted this innings as a career "highlight," while the narrow defeat to India in the 2016 T20 World Cup was his "most frustrating moment." He acknowledged that Bangladesh may not have won a major trophy during his T20I tenure, but insisted that the team's growth since his debut in 2007 is an achievement in itself.
Although he is stepping away from T20Is, Mahmudullah is confident that several talented players in Bangladesh, such as Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, and Yasir Ali, can step into the finisher's role. He emphasized that it requires both bravery and support from the leadership to succeed in such a crucial position.
As Mahmudullah prepares to bow out of T20Is, he leaves behind a lasting legacy, marking the end of an era in Bangladesh cricket.