Dhaka: Former Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes has announced his retirement from Test cricket through a video message on his social media handles today. The announcement was made in a 1.29-minute-long video, which was accompanied by a caption reading, “Goodbye Test cricket. Grateful for the love.”
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the 37-year-old cricketer played his last Test match against India in 2019 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India’s only day-night Test to date. Since then, he has awaited another opportunity to play in Test cricket, which did not materialize. In his video message, Kayes also revealed his intention to retire from first-class cricket after November 16, when his team, Khulna, will face Dhaka in a National Cricket League (NCL) match at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Kayes expressed his sentiments, stating, “I want to convey one thing with respect and love to all the cricket-loving viewers of Bangladesh.” He added, “I am going to take a difficult decision in my care
er very soon. I am going to retire from Test cricket and at the same time I will play the last match of my first-class career on November 16 (Saturday). This is one of the most difficult and emotional moments of my life in my 17-year-long career.”
Imrul Kayes made his first-class cricket debut for Khulna Division in a match against Dhaka Division on February 14, 2007. He has since been a consistent player for Khulna over the years. He debuted in One Day Internationals (ODIs) in 2008 and quickly established himself as a key player in the Test team, representing Bangladesh for 11 years.
During his Test career, Kayes participated in 39 matches, scoring 1797 runs at an average of 24.28, with his highest score being 150. He achieved three centuries and four half-centuries during his Test tenure. In the ODI format, he played 78 matches, amassing 2434 runs at an average of 32.02, including four centuries and 16 fifties. Kayes also played 14 T20 Internationals, scoring 119 runs. He has not yet announced his retirem
ent from the ODI and T20 formats.