Mahmudullah Retired, The Era of the Five Gems Ends…
The end was memorable, indeed, but Mahmudullah Riyad didn’t want it to be remembered this way. He wanted to bow out with his head held high, as he did in Tests, leaving behind something memorable. However, nothing went as planned for him. There are no achievements, only regret and heartbreak.
Yesterday, Bangladesh became a part of a history no one would want to be associated with. In Mahmudullah’s farewell match, India batted first and put up 297 runs for 6 wickets, the second-highest total in the history of international T20 cricket.
Everyone knew runs would flow in Hyderabad, and fans were prepared for it. But no one imagined Bangladesh would be swept away in such a flood of runs. Even if no one expected it, that’s exactly what happened. Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav together made Mahmudullah’s farewell a painful occasion.
The team wanted to win this match for Mahmudullah, the former captain who played the most T20 matches for Bangladesh. Mahmudullah himself wanted to leave with a victory for his team.
Mahmudullah shining in his farewell isn’t a new thing. In 2021, he left Test cricket after playing an unbeaten knock of 150 in Harare, leading his team to victory. Perhaps, he wanted to replicate something similar today.
But his wishes didn’t come true this time. Mahmudullah’s only achievement in the match was taking a wicket. With the ball, he dismissed Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav. However, he conceded 26 runs in his two overs. With the bat, he couldn’t reach double digits, scoring 8 runs off 9 balls.
Even though he couldn’t make an impact in his last match, Mahmudullah’s career is filled with moments that will make him unforgettable. Especially that six in the Nidahas Trophy, which will forever be his trademark.
Mahmudullah made his T20 debut on September 1, 2007. Yesterday, when he stepped on the field for the last time, 17 years and 41 days had passed—making his career the third-longest in T20 history.
Not only that, Mahmudullah is leaving T20 cricket while holding the record for playing the most matches for Bangladesh, and the third-most in the world, with 141 matches. Only Rohit Sharma (159) and Paul Stirling (147) are ahead of him.
During this time, Mahmudullah scored 2,444 runs at an average of 23.50, the second-highest for any Bangladeshi cricketer. His strike rate was 117.34, with a highest score of 64*. In total, he has eight fifties to his name.
His bowling stats are commendable too, with 41 wickets at an economy of 7.16. His best figures are 3 wickets for 10 runs.
Moreover, Mahmudullah holds the record for the most sixes for Bangladesh in T20s, with 77 sixes. He is also second in the race for the most Player of the Match awards in T20s for Bangladesh, having won it five times, just behind Shakib Al Hasan, who has won it 12 times.
Mahmudullah Riyad was part of 49 T20 victories for Bangladesh, the second-highest for any player. He remained unbeaten 26 times in his career, the highest among Bangladeshi batters.
As a captain, Mahmudullah set records too. He led Bangladesh in 43 T20 matches, the most by any captain. Shakib Al Hasan is second with 39 matches. However, both share the same number of wins as captains, with Bangladesh winning 16 matches under each of their leaderships.
With Mahmudullah’s pause, an era of Bangladesh cricket has ended. As the last of the “Five Gems,” he has hung up his international T20 cricket jersey.
