Imrul Kayes has announced his retirement from Test and first-class cricket, marking the end of a significant chapter in his career. In an emotional video message shared on his Facebook page, Imrul revealed that his final red-ball match will be the National Cricket League (NCL) match between Khulna Division and Dhaka Division at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, scheduled for November 16. While retiring from the longer format, he confirmed that he will continue playing white-ball cricket.
Imrul Kayes described the decision as the most difficult and emotional of his life. He last played a Test match in 2019 against India at Eden Gardens, marking the historic first day-night Test in the country. Over the course of his 39 Tests, Imrul scored 1797 runs at an average of 24.28, including three centuries and four fifties. He was predominantly a top-order batsman, often opening with Tamim Iqbal, with whom he formed one of Bangladesh’s most successful opening partnerships.
Imrul and Tamim added 2336 runs in 53 innings, making them the most prolific opening pair in Bangladesh’s Test history. Notably, their 185-run stand at Lord’s in 2010 and a world-record 312-run partnership against Pakistan in 2015 stand out as the highlights of their careers. Moreover, the latter partnership, achieved in the third or fourth innings of a Test, remains a unique and unmatched record.
At the time of his retirement, Imrul is just 70 runs shy of reaching 8000 first-class runs, a milestone he could reach in his farewell match at Mirpur. Though he bids farewell to red-ball cricket, his contribution to Bangladesh’s cricketing history will be remembered for years to come.
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