Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from T20I cricket: Details here
Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from T20 Internationals on Saturday. His decision came after the conclusion of the ODI series against the West Indies. Earlier this year, Tamim took a six-month break from T20Is, however, he continued to play domestic cricket during this period. The left-handed batter finishes with 1,758 runs in the shortest format. Here are further details.
Tamim announced the news on Facebook
Tamim announced the news of his retirement through a short message on his Facebook page. "Consider me retired from T20 internationals from today. Thanks everyone," he wrote. In January, he had said, "My full focus will be on Tests and ODIs. We are preparing for the WTC and the 2023 World Cup qualification. I won't be thinking about T20Is in the next six months.
Tamim withdrew from T20 WC
In 2021, Tamim withdrew from the ICC T20 World Cup. He had stepped aside to keep Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Naim in the frame. The duo played as openers in the absence of Tamim. However, both of them failed in the T20 World Cup.
Notable stats of Tamim
Tamim was a mainstay batter in Bangladesh's T20I side from 2007 to 2018. As per ESPNcricinfo, he featured in 75 out of 84 games for the side. Tamim finished as Bangladesh's third-highest run-scorer in the shortest format. He slammed 1,701 runs at an average of 24.65 average. He remains the only centurion for Bangladesh in T20I cricket.
Tamim last played a T20I in 2020
Tamim last played a T20 International in March 2020 against Zimbabwe. He slammed 41 off 33 balls in that match. Tamim played just two more T20Is in 2020. Before that, he played three T20Is against West Indies in 2018.
What next for Tamim?
Tamim is expected to take part in domestic T20 tournaments. He is the all-time leading run-scorer in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Tamim has smashed 2,628 runs from 79 matches in the tournament at an average of 38.64. He has a healthy strike rate of 122.63 and owns two centuries. Notably, he has featured in every season of the tournament.
