Imrul Kayes calls it quits from Bangladesh’s test cricket after representing his country in a test career of 39 matches.
Imrul Kayes has announced his retirement from Test and first-class cricket.
The Khulna Division’s National Cricket League (NCL) encounter against the Dhaka Division at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka next week will be his final red-ball match, he stated in a video statement posted on his Facebook page. Nonetheless, he will keep playing white-ball cricket.
“On November 16, I will retire from Test and first-class cricket. It is the most difficult and emotional decision of my life,” he said.
In 2019, during India’s first day-night Test match, Imrul played his final of 39 Test matches at Eden Gardens. With three hundreds and four fifties, he amassed 1797 runs at an average of 24.28 while batting primarily at the top of the order and occasionally at No. 3.
However, Imrul’s opening combination with Tamim Iqbal was more significant to his Test career. With 2336 runs in 53 innings, they continue to be by far Bangladesh’s most productive opening duo. Right now, the next-highest total for an opening partnership from Bangladesh is 665 runs between Javed Omar and Nafees Iqbal. Of all Bangladeshi opening pairs, Imrul and Tamim have the best average first-wicket partnership of 45.80.
A partnership of 185 runs at Lord’s in 2010 was the first of their four century stands, and their final one was a world-record 312 against Pakistan in Khulna in 2015. It is still the only opening stand of 300 or more in the third or fourth innings of a Test match, and it helped Bangladesh salvage the match after giving up a 296-run lead in the first innings. They last opened together during the Sri Lanka home Test series in 2018.
In first-class cricket, Imrul is now 70 runs short of reaching the 8000-run milestone. When his last game starts on November 16, he will have an opportunity to accomplish the feat at Mirpur.