Bangladesh star batter Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from international cricket ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

Tamim Iqbal, the famous batter from Bangladesh, has just announced his retirement from international cricket. Iqbal refused to return for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, which stops all the rumors about whether he'll play again. Even though the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Najmul Shanto tried to convince him to come back, Iqbal didn't want to change his decision.

The opening batter first decided to retire in June 2023 and then reversed his decision in just 24 hours, he played his last game for Bangladesh in September 2023. After he didn't make it into the squad for the ICC World Cup 2023, he struggled a lot getting back on the team.

The 2025 Champions Trophy was coming up, and people started to really think Tamim might come back, especially since Bangladesh did not perform well in 2024. When Tamim discussed everything he had been through, he mentioned that he had been thinking about quitting cricket forever after not making the team for the 2023 World Cup.

“I’ve been away from international cricket for a long time, and I feel that chapter is now closed,” Tamim wrote. “I’ve been thinking about this decision for a while. With a big tournament like the Champions Trophy coming up, I don’t want discussions about me to distract the team.”

He added, “I never wanted this situation. I stepped away from the BCB central contract a long time ago because I didn’t want to be a topic of unnecessary talks. Some people said I was delaying the matter, but the truth is, I made my decision long ago. Whether to retire or continue playing is a personal choice for any athlete. I’ve taken my time, and now I feel the moment is right.”

Tamim faced a tough time before the 2023 World Cup, and it wasn't even about how well he played or didn't play but then, Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and the team's selection committee contacted him personally, asking him to come back into the team.

He discussed it with the selectors and felt appreciated for their effort. Despite everything that happened, Tamim was ready to move on but was thankful for their support and trust in him.

Tamim also opened up about the support from fans and his family. “Wherever I went, fans told me they wanted to see me play for the national team again. I thought about their love and support. Even my son, though he never said it directly, would tell his mom that he wanted to see me wear the Bangladesh jersey again. I’m sorry to disappoint my fans. To my son, I’ll just say, ‘One day, when you’re older, you’ll understand your father’s decision.’”

Tamim Iqbal's International Cricket Statistics

Format	Mat	Inns	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	Ct
Tests	70	134	5134	206	38.89	8852	57.99	10	31	20
ODIs	243	240	8357	158	36.65	10642	78.52	14	56	68
T20Is	78	78	1758	103*	24.08	1503	116.96	1	7	18
List A	316	313	11368	158	38.40	13957	81.45	22	72	88
T20s	272	271	8031	141*	32.77	6622	121.27	4	52	83

 

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