Riyad calls time in T20Is as Tigers face India today

Bangladesh will take on India in the second T20I in Delhi's Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium today in a must-win match which is set to be the penultimate outing in the format for veteran Mahmudullah Riyad, who announced he will be retiring from the format at the end of the three-match series.

As the team is trying to build towards the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, there were questions whether the 38-year-old Mahmudullah would fit into the equation. The speculations gained momentum before the first T20I, when skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto hinted that Mahmudullah would have a discussion about his future with the selectors after the series.

Mahmudullah put an end to all the rumours yesterday in the pre-match press conference, saying that his decision to retire from the format after the India series was 'predetermined'.

Thus Bangladesh's 'finisher' called time on his T20I career, announcing that the third T20I to be played in Hyderabad would be his last.

Asked to remember his high and low points in T20Is, the answer must have been pretty easy for Mahmudullah, as his role is such that it usually converges with Bangladesh's high and low points.

"The most frustrating moment was in Bangalore 2016 against India," Mahmudullah said referring to the T20 World Cup match against India where he and Mushfiqur Rahim failed to score two off three balls.

"And greatest moment was probably in Nidahas Trophy, the match that we won against Sri Lanka," he recalled the match where he hit an unbeaten 43 off 18 balls to seal a thrilling victory.

The end of Mahmudullah's 17-year journey in T20Is is in sight, but the Tigers' post-Mahmudullah era has not begun quite yet. The veteran batter will be there in the second T20I in Delhi in the same venue where he and Mushfiqur stayed till the end to ensure Bangladesh's maiden T20I victory – a seven-wicket win – over India back in 2019.

Bangladesh also hold fond memories of beating Sri Lanka here in the 2023 ODI World Cup, the last international fixture to be played at the venue.

Following a poor batting performance in the first T20I, which they lost by seven wickets, the Tigers' batting unit will have to find answers if Bangladesh are to make it three in three at the venue.

Batting lower down the order, Mahmudullah has been the difference maker in many of Bangladesh's memorable wins. With the Tigers trailing the series 1-0, another such heroic performance in the second T20I, which will begin at 7:30 PM Bangladesh time, might prove to be exactly what they need to keep the series alive.