Imrul Kayes has officially retired from Test cricket. The left-handed opener last played a Test match five years ago. Today, he announced his departure from the format in a post on his verified Facebook page.
This afternoon, Imrul shared a one-and-a-half-minute video on Facebook. In the caption, he wrote,
“Farewell, Test cricket. Grateful for all your love, My Test career has come to an end. Thank you to all my fans for their continuous love and support!”
In his career for Bangladesh, Imrul played 39 Tests, scoring 1,797 runs in 76 innings at an average of 24.28, with three centuries and four fifties. His last Test appearance was against India at Eden Gardens in November 2019.
Imrul has been performing reasonably well in the ongoing National Cricket League. Playing for Khulna, his last five innings have been 86*, 71, 46, 13, and 0. The fifth round of the league begins this Saturday, where Khulna will face Dhaka. Imrul is expected to formally announce his retirement from both Test and first-class cricket on that day.
In his video message, Imrul said,
বিদায় টেস্ট ক্রিকেট। আপনাদের ভালোবাসার জন্য কৃতজ্ঞ।বিদায় টেস্ট ক্রিকেট। আপনাদের ভালোবাসার জন্য কৃতজ্ঞ। Ending my Test Career, Thank you, to all my fans for showing their love and support always!
Posted by Imrul Kayes on Wednesday, November 13, 2024
“Assalamu Alaikum. I am Imrul Kayes. With respect and love to all cricket fans in Bangladesh, I want to announce that I am approaching a difficult decision in my cricket career. On November 16, I will be declaring the end of my Test career, along with my first-class cricket career. This is one of the most challenging and emotional moments in my 17-years journey.”
In first-class cricket, Imrul has played 137 matches, amassing 7,930 runs in 246 innings at an average of 34.18, with 20 centuries and 27 fifties.
