Top Bangladeshi cricketer Tamim retires from T20 internationals
Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal after a match against South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, March 20, 2022. (AP Photo)


Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from Twenty20 internationals Sunday, ending long speculation over his future in the shortest format.

"Consider me retired from T20 internationals from today," Tamim wrote on his verified Facebook page after he led Bangladesh to a 3-0 sweep over West Indies in a one-day international (ODI) series in Guyana.

Tamim has been Bangladesh's most prolific batsman, accumulating 14,726 international runs across all formats.

He has not played a Twenty20 international since March 2020 but continued to play other formats, leading the country's 50-over side for the last two years.

The only Bangladeshi batsman to score a hundred in all three formats, Tamim's scored 1,758 runs at an average of 24.08 in 78 Twenty20 internationals.

His only century came against Oman in the preliminary round of the 2016 T20 World Cup at Dharamshala, India.

Bangladesh faces Zimbabwe in a three-match Twenty20 series beginning later this month to build toward this year's T20 World Cup in Australia.