Tamim Iqbal Khan (
Bengali: তামিম ইকবাল খান; born 20 March 1989), commonly known as Tamim Iqbal, is a Bangladeshi former international
cricketer
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
and commentator from
Chittagong
Chittagong ( ), officially Chattogram, (, ) (, or ) is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also the business capital of Bangladesh. It ...
who was captain of the national team in
ODI matches from 2020 to 2023. He is the first Bangladeshi cricketer to score a century in the
ICC Men's T20 World Cup
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup, formerly the ICC World Twenty20, is a biennial world cup for cricket in Twenty20 International (T20I) format, organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was held in every odd year from 2007 to 2009, ...
in the
2016 edition, scoring 103
*, the highest score made by a Bangladeshi at any T20 World Cup tournament.
Tamim made his ODI debut in 2007 and played his first
Test match the following year. He scored his first century against
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. He is the only Bangladeshi batsman to score a century against the
England cricket team
The England men's cricket team represents cricket in England, England and cricket in Wales, Wales in international cricket. Since 1997, it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), having been previously governed by Maryleb ...
at
Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...
Stadium. He served as vice-captain of the national side between December 2010 and September 2011. He scored more than 15000 runs in his whole international career, which is the highest among any other Bangladeshi
batsman
In cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball, ball with a cricket bat, bat to score runs (cricket), runs and prevent the dismissal (cricket), loss of one's wicket. Any player who is currently batting is, since Septembe ...
to date. Tamim is also Bangladesh's highest century maker in international matches with 25 centuries, combining all forms of cricket.
In 2011 he was named one of ''
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "Bible of cricket" (or variations thereof) has been applied to ''Wi ...
's'' four Cricketers of the Year, and ''Wisden's'' Test Player of the Year, becoming just the second Bangladeshi player to be awarded the accolade. He was the highest run scorer in 2016 T20 WC (295). He is the only Bangladeshi cricketer to score centuries in all three game formats. He is the only player to score four consecutive half-centuries in the Asia Cup. He is the only player to score at least two centuries for three times in a 3 match ODI series. He also holds the record for scoring the most hundreds in One Day International cricket from Bangladesh. In July 2022, he announced his retirement from
Twenty20 International
Twenty20 International (T20I) is a form of Twenty20 cricket, in which each team plays a single innings with a maximum of twenty overs. The matches are played between international teams recognized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). ...
cricket. On 6 July 2023, he took retirement from all sorts of international cricket. However, on the next day, he astonishingly reversed his retirement decision following a meeting that included the then
BCB president
Nazmul Hassan, the former Bangladeshi Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina (''née'' Wazed; born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024. Premiership of Sheikh Hasina, Her ...
, and former Bangladesh captain
Mashrafe Mortaza, and instead opted to take some rest before continuing to play.
Tamim stepped down as the ODI captain on 3 August 2023, after being ruled out of the
Asia Cup
The Men's Asia Cup is the biennial cricket tournament organised by the Asian Cricket Council. The competition is contested by Asian members' senior men's national cricket teams, determining the continental champion of Asia. It was establis ...
due to complications arising from a long-standing back injury. He began his career as an international commentator during the second session of the second Test match between Bangladesh and New Zealand held at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka in December 2023.
On 10 January 2025, Tamim announced his retirement from international cricket.
Early and personal life
Tamim was born to Iqbal Khan (d. 2000) and Nusrat Iqbal Khan, in the port city of
Chittagong
Chittagong ( ), officially Chattogram, (, ) (, or ) is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also the business capital of Bangladesh. It ...
. His paternal ''
Khan'' family is a prestigious family in the city, his ancestors arrived to Chittagong from
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
.
His maternal family belongs to
Salempur in Uttar Pradesh. Tamim is the brother of
Nafees Iqbal and the nephew of
Akram Khan, both of whom played Test cricket for Bangladesh.
Tamim's father, Iqbal, used to host small cricket tournaments to help his sons train and get better in cricket.
His brother Nafees, a former national team cricketer, in an interview said, "Tamim was the more talented one. When Tamim was 12 or 13, he hit 148 as the team chased 150".
Tamim married Ayesha Siddiqa on 22 June 2013. They had an eight-year relationship prior to getting married. Their marriage involved a grand ceremony held at Chittagong and a similar kind of reception at Dhaka on 27th of the same month. Former Prime Minister
Khaleda Zia
Begum Khaleda Zia (born August–September 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second fema ...
was present at the event. He had his first son named Arham Iqbal Khan in 2016 and his first daughter named Alishba Iqbal Khan on 19 November 2019.
Domestic and T20 franchise career
National Cricket League
He plays first-class cricket for
Chittagong Division cricket team
Chottogram Division cricket team represents the Chittagong Division, one of the seven administrative regions in Bangladesh. The team was founded in 1999 to compete in the National Cricket League (NCL) and plays first-class cricket. For the short- ...
.
County cricket
In 2011, Tamim became only the second Bangladeshi to play
county cricket
Inter-county cricket matches have been played since the early 18th century, involving teams that are representative of the historic counties of England and Wales.
Two county championship competitions have existed since the late 19th century at ...
in England
when he signed to play for
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
in June 2011. He was recruited as a short-term replacement for Australian batsmen
David Hussey
David John Hussey (born 15 July 1977) is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer. Hussey is a right-handed batter and can also Bowler (cricket), bowl right-arm off breaks. He is the younger brother of former Australian cricketer Michael ...
, who was called up to the national squad.
During his stay, Tamim played five matches, scoring 104 runs with a highest score of 47.
Tamim, whose batting was described in the ''
Nottingham Post
The ''Nottingham Post'' (formerly the ''Nottingham Evening Post'') is an English tabloid newspaper which serves Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.
The ''Post'' is published Monday to Saturday ...
'' as "solid if unspectacular", remarked of his performance that "It could have been better, but it wasn't too bad". Even though he was playing in a foreign country, there was pressure from the media in Bangladesh for Tamim to perform – especially when Nottinghamshire faced
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...
who were fielding Shakib Al Hasan – with his exploits sometimes making the front pages.
Tamim got selected to play for
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
in the NatWest T20 blast but left the tournament for personal reasons.
HRV Cup
In late October 2012,
Wellington Firebirds
The Wellington Firebirds are one of six New Zealand men's first-class cricket teams that make up New Zealand Cricket.
It is based in Wellington. It competes in the Plunket Shield first class (4-day) competition, The Ford Trophy domestic one d ...
signed him for the New Zealand domestic
HRV Cup, a T20 competition.
Sri Lanka Premier League
He was picked up by
Wayamba United for the
2012 Sri Lanka Premier League. Tamim scored 190 runs in 6 innings on an average of 38.00 with 1 half-century (93* off 61).
Indian Premier League
Tamim Iqbal remained unsold at his base price of $100,000 on 2011 IPL Draft.
He was signed by the
Pune Warriors India for 2012 season, although never got chance to play.
Bangladesh Premier League
Tamim Iqbal was the icon player for the
Chittagong Kings in the
2012 Bangladesh Premier League. He could play only 2 innings and scored 8 runs.
He was signed and chosen captain of
Duronto Rajshahi
Durbar Rajshahi () is a Bangladeshi franchise Twenty20 cricket team. The team is based in Rajshahi in Bangladesh and competes in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a Twenty20 franchise cricket competition.
The team is currently owned by the V ...
in
second edition of BPL. He scored 244 runs in 9 innings with 3 fifties.
In the
2015 Bangladesh Premier League, Tamim played for the
Chittagong Vikings
Chittagong Kings () is a franchise cricket team which participates in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The franchise is based in Chattogram.
Franchise history
The Chattogram franchise joined the BPL as one of its original members in 2012, ...
, and top-scored for his team scoring 298 runs in 9 innings on an average of 37.25 along with 3 fifties.
Tamim top-scored for his team again in the
2016 Bangladesh Premier League scoring 476 runs in 13 innings on an average of 43.27 with 6 fifties.
In the
2017 Bangladesh Premier League, Tamim played for the
Comilla Victorians. He top-scored for his team yet again scoring 332 runs in 10 innings on an average of 36.88 along with 2 fifties.
In the
2019 Bangladesh Premier League
Nineteen or 19 may refer to:
* 19 (number)
* One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019
Films
* ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film
* ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film
* '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film
* '' Dici ...
, Tamim top-scored for his team scoring 467 runs in 14 innings on an average of 38.91 with 2 fifties and 1 century. His century (141* off 61) came in the final against the
Dhaka Dynamites.
In November 2019, was selected to play for the
Dhaka Platoon in the
2019–20 Bangladesh Premier League. and in the tournament he became first cricketer to past 2000 runs in BPL history. He scored 396 runs in 12 innings with 3 fifties.
For the
2022 Bangladesh Premier League, the
Minister Group Dhaka signed Tamim. Tamim accumulated 407 runs in 9 innings on an average of 58.14 with 4 fifties and 1 century. His century (111* off 64) came against the
Sylhet Sunrisers.
In the
2023 Bangladesh Premier League, Tamim signed for
Khulna Tigers. He then top-scored for his team scoring 302 runs in 10 innings on an average of 33.55 with 2 fifties.
In the
2024 Bangladesh Premiere League, Tamim signed for
Fortune Barishal. He was also chosen to captain the team. With three fifty's in the tournament, he scored 492 runs, with the strike rate of 127.13. Under his leadership, Barisal won the BPL for the first time.
In the
2025 Bangladesh Premiere League, he was retained by Fortune Barishal.
Caribbean Premier League
Tamim was classified as an international elite player for the inaugural
Caribbean Premier League
The Caribbean Premier League (abbreviated to CPL or CPLT20) is an annual Twenty20 cricket tournament held in the Caribbean. It was founded by Cricket West Indies in 2013 to replace the Caribbean Twenty20 as the premier Twenty20 competition in ...
in 2013. He was picked by the
St. Lucia Zouks, and scored 162 runs in 7 innings with 1 fifty.
In July 2014, he played for the Rest of the World side in the
Bicentenary Celebration match at
Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...
.
Pakistan Super League
Tamim was picked up by the
Peshawar Zalmi
Peshawar Zalmi (; ; literally meaning "Peshawar's youth") is a Pakistani franchise Twenty20 cricket team which plays in the Pakistan Super League and represents Peshawar, the capital city of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The team is owned b ...
for the
2016 Pakistan Super League
The 2016 Pakistan Super League (or for sponsorship reasons HBL PSL 2016) was the debut season of the Pakistan Super League which was established by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The tournament featured five teams and was held from 4 February 2016 ...
. He top-scored for his team scoring 267 runs in 6 innings on an average of 66.75 with 3 fifties.
In the
2017 Pakistan Super League, Tamim scored 94 runs in 5 innings with 1 half-century.
In the
2018 Pakistan Super League
The 2018 Pakistan Super League (also known as PSL 3 or for sponsorship reasons, HBL PSL 2018) was the third season of the Pakistan Super League, a franchise Twenty20 cricket league which was established by the Pakistan Cricket Board in 2015. It ...
, he scored 161 runs in 6 innings.
In 2020, he represented the
Lahore Qalandars
Lahore Qalandars is a Pakistani professional cricket franchise which plays in the Pakistan Super League, representing Lahore, the capital of Punjab. They are the current champions of the PSL and the most successful team in the tournament's hist ...
.
He scored 83 runs in 3 innings.
Afghanistan Premier League
In September 2018, he was named in Nangarhar's squad in the
first edition
The bibliographical definition of an edition is all copies of a book printed from substantially the same setting of type, including all minor typographical variants.
First edition
According to the definition of ''edition'' above, a book pr ...
of the
Afghanistan Premier League tournament.
Bangabandu T20 Cup
He played for
Fortune Barishal in
2020-21 Bangabandhu T20 Cup.
International career
Early career
Tamim, a young talent of Bangladesh, who played in the
2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup
The 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup was played in Sri Lanka from 2 to 15 February 2006. It was the sixth edition of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
The final was played between Pakistan Under-19 cricket team, Pakistan and India Under-19 cri ...
in Sri Lanka, was picked for the
2007 World Cup and played against India in the group stage of the competition, scoring 51 runs from 53 deliveries, helping his team to win the match. In December that year, the
Bangladesh Cricket Board
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (; abbreviated as BCB), formerly known as Bangladesh Cricket Control Board, is the governing body of cricket in Bangladesh. It became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1977, and a Lis ...
(BCB) granted Tamim a one-year grade C contract, one of 22 central contracts held by the Board at the time. Although he was still in the lowest tier of central contracts, it was an extension of his previous contract, which lasted six months.
On
Bangladesh's tour of the West Indies in July and August 2009, Tamim scored his maiden Test century against a
West Indies team weakened by disputes between players and administrators, which resulted in seven players making their Test debuts in the match. His effort with the bat helped Bangladesh to a historic victory – their first against the West Indies in Tests, their first overseas Test victory and only their second Test win. He ended up with scoring 128 runs and was named as the Man of the Match for his performance (he also scored 33 runs in the first innings). Speaking of his innings, Tamim said "It was a flat wicket, and if you concentrate hard and look to bat straight, it's a good track to score on. I'm just 20 and have played only 11 Tests, I think there are a lot more
nnings like theseto come". Bangladesh went on to win the second Test, and in the process secured their first overseas series win. Iqbal was Bangladesh's leading run-scorer in the series with 197 runs.
Bangladesh's coach,
Jamie Siddons, opined in January 2010 that Tamim had "the makings of a world-class opener".
''Wisden'' Cricketer of the Year
During the first innings of the first Test against
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in March 2010, Tamim scored 86 runs from 120 deliveries. In the process he became the fastest Bangladesh batsman to reach 1,000 Test runs in terms of innings, taking 19 to reach the landmark. He also became the third-youngest player in Test history (behind
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who List of India national cricket captains#Men's cricket, captained the Indian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketer ...
and compatriot
Mohammad Ashraful
Mohammad Ashraful (; born 7 July 1984) is a Bangladeshi cricketer, who has represented the Bangladesh national cricket team, Bangladesh men's national team.
Between 2007 and 2009, Ashraful captained his country in 13 Test cricket, Tests, and 3 ...
) to reach 1,000 Test runs.
In May that year, Bangladesh
toured England for two more Tests and three ODIs. Though his team lost 2–0, Tamim scored a century in each of the Tests.
For his performances against England, Tamim was named one of the ''
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "Bible of cricket" (or variations thereof) has been applied to ''Wi ...
's'' four Cricketers of the Year in 2011. In October he was also named ''Wisden's'' Test Player of the Year, ahead of
Graeme Swann
Graeme Peter Swann (born 24 March 1979) is an English former cricketer who played all three formats of the game. Born in Northampton, he attended Sponne School in Towcester, Northamptonshire. He was primarily a right-arm off-spinner, and also ...
and
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag (, born 20 October 1978) is a former Indian cricketer who represented India from 1999 to 2013. Widely regarded as one of the most destructive openers and one of the greatest batsmen of his era, he played for Delhi Capitals in I ...
, who came second and third respectively. During the qualifying period for the award, Tamim scored 837 runs in seven Tests at an average of 59.78. It was just the second time a Bangladesh player had won the award, as
Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan (; born 24 March 1987) is a former Bangladeshi international cricketer who played Test cricket, Test, One Day International, ODI and Twenty20 International, T20I cricket for the Bangladesh national cricket team, Bangladeshi cr ...
was named the previous year.
[ At the start of November, the BCB announced 16 central contracts. Tamim was one of six players at the top level.
]
Bangladesh vice-captain
In December 2010, Tamim replaced Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur Rahim (; born 9 May 1987) is a Bangladeshi cricketer and the former captain of the Bangladesh national cricket team. He is a right-handed middle-order Batting (cricket), batter and wicket-keeper in the national team.
Mushfiqur started ...
as Bangladesh's vice-captain. In the opening match of the 2011 World Cup he scored 70 runs against India in a losing cause. In the following match against Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
he scored 44 runs off 43 balls, and took a catch. In the next game against the West Indies
The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
, Tamim was caught at the slips for a third-ball duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...
as Bangladesh folded for its lowest ODI score, 58 all out. The following game against England he scored a quick fire 38 to get his side off to another good start, with Bangladesh eventually winning by two wickets.
Tamim became only the second Bangladeshi to play county cricket
Inter-county cricket matches have been played since the early 18th century, involving teams that are representative of the historic counties of England and Wales.
Two county championship competitions have existed since the late 19th century at ...
in England when he signed to play for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
in June 2011. He was recruited as a short-term replacement for Australian batsmen David Hussey
David John Hussey (born 15 July 1977) is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer. Hussey is a right-handed batter and can also Bowler (cricket), bowl right-arm off breaks. He is the younger brother of former Australian cricketer Michael ...
, who was called up to the national squad. During his stay, Tamim played five matches, scoring 104 runs with a highest score of 47. Tamim, whose batting was described in the ''Nottingham Post
The ''Nottingham Post'' (formerly the ''Nottingham Evening Post'') is an English tabloid newspaper which serves Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.
The ''Post'' is published Monday to Saturday ...
'' as "solid if unspectacular", remarked of his performance that "It could have been better, but it wasn't too bad". Even though he was playing in a foreign country, there was pressure from the media in Bangladesh for Tamim to perform – especially when Nottinghamshire faced Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...
who were fielding Shakib Al Hasan – with his exploits sometimes making the front pages.
When Bangladesh toured Zimbabwe in July 2011 for a single Test and five ODIs, they did so with the expectation of winning. Zimbabwe were returning from a six-year exile from Tests, although Bangladesh had not played in the format in more than 14 months. Despite claiming in a press conference that Zimbabwe's bowlers posed little threat, Tamim managed 58 runs in the Test as Bangladesh slid to defeat. Bangladesh lost the following ODI series against Zimbabwe 3–2. Bangladesh's batsmen struggled early in the series, with Tamim managing 157 runs from five innings at an average of 31.40. In the aftermath of the series, Shakib and Tamim were sacked as captain and vice-captain, with a BCB representative citing their poor leadership.
Post vice-captain
West Indies toured in October, facing Bangladesh in a T20I, three ODIs and two Tests. Though Bangladesh lost the Test series 1–0, Tamim was his team's leading run-scorer with 186 from four innings, including two half-centuries. The BCB founded the six-team Bangladesh Premier League
Bangladesh Premier League (), also known as Dutch-Bangla Bank BPL for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in Bangladesh organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). It was formed in 2011 by the BCB, after the su ...
in 2012, a twenty20 tournament to be held in February that year. The BCB made Tamim the 'icon player' for Chittagong Kings. However, his appearances were limited due to a groin injury and he played just two matches and scored eight runs.
In March 2012 Bangladesh hosted the Asia Cup
The Men's Asia Cup is the biennial cricket tournament organised by the Asian Cricket Council. The competition is contested by Asian members' senior men's national cricket teams, determining the continental champion of Asia. It was establis ...
. Tamim, who was recovering from typhoid
Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...
, was initially dropped from the squad on the orders of BCB president Mustafa Kamal. Controversy ensued as Kamal had overridden the selection committee and eventually Tamim was re-added to the squad. He responded by striking four consecutive half-centuries, becoming the first Bangladesh player to achieve the feat in ODIs. Bangladesh progressed to the final against all expectations, although they lost to Pakistan by 2 runs. Later that month Tamim signed with Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket league in India, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Founded in 2007, it features ten city-based Professional sports league organization, fr ...
, but did not play a single match for the team. In April his top-level central contract with the BCB was renewed.
In late 2012 Bangladesh hosted West Indies, where Bangladesh won the ODI series, despite losing the T20 and the Test series. His highest score during the ODI and Test series was 58 and 72 runs respectively. Tamim's best performance in the overall series was the unbeaten 88 in the lone T20 match, despite losing the match for 18 runs short.
Post World Cup 2015
After the 2015 Cricket World Cup
The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup was the 11th Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament contested by men's national teams and organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was jointly hosted by Aust ...
, Bangladesh played a home series against Pakistan. Tamim played a superb ODI series against Pakistan, where he scored two back-to-back match-winning centuries. Eventually, Bangladesh white-washed Pakistan for the first time in an ODI series and Tamim was named as the Man of the series.
2016 and beyond
Tamim was the highest run scorer at the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 held in India. This included an unbeaten 103* against Oman in the group stages of the tournament. He became the first Bangladesh cricketer to score an international T20I hundred whilst also surpassing the previous high score of 88* (also held by him). This subsequently helped Bangladesh qualify for the Super 10 stage. Tamim also led the highest number of 6's hit chart at the tournament.
In August 2016, Tamim sustained a fracture on the little finger, which ruled him out from competitive cricket for around three weeks. This means that he could be uncertain for selection for the ODIs against Afghanistan. but he was selected for ODIs and scored 80 and 118 in the first and third ODIs against Afghanistan.
During the first ODI against Sri Lanka on 26 March 2017, Tamim became the first Bangladeshi to score 10,000 international runs.
2017 Champions Trophy
Preparing for the 2017 Champions Trophy, Iqbal scored a hundred against Pakistan in a warm-up game at Edgbaston
Edgbaston () is a suburb of Birmingham, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It lies immediately south-west of Birmingham city centre, and was historically in Warwickshire. The Ward (electoral subdivision), wards of Edgbaston and Nort ...
in Birmingham. Playing against England in the first of the league games at The Oval
The Oval, currently named for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club sinc ...
, he scored 128 off 142 balls taking the team's total to 305 runs, which was later chased down by the latter. He scored 95 off 114 balls in the next game against Australia, a match that ended without result. In the semi-final against India, he scored 70 off 82 balls in a losing cause, finishing the tournament with 293 runs. He was also named as part of the 'Team of the Tournament' at the 2017 Champions Trophy by the ICC and ESPNcricinfo.
In August 2017, he was named in a World XI
The World XI, also known as the FIFA World Stars, is an association football scratch team consisting of players from various countries. The World XI play one-off games against clubs, national teams, collectives of continental teams.
The official ...
side to play three Twenty20 International matches against Pakistan in the 2017 Independence Cup in Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
.
2018
On 23 January 2018 against Zimbabwe, Tamim became the first batsman for Bangladesh to reach 6,000 runs in ODIs. During this innings, Tamim also went past Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya
Deshabandu Sanath Teran Jayasuriya (, ; born 30 June 1969), is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, captain, cricket administrator and coach. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest all rounders ever to play in ODI cricket. A left arm orthodox sp ...
's 2,514 runs at the R. Premadasa Stadium to become highest run-scorer at a single venue in ODIs.
In April 2018, he was one of ten cricketers to be awarded a central contract by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) ahead of the 2018 season. In the same month, he was named in the Rest of the World XI squad for the one-off T20I against the West Indies
The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
, to be played at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...
on 31 May 2018.
In July 2018, Tamim scored 287 runs with an average of 143.5 in a three-match series against West Indies and became the man of the series for the 4th time in ODI career, which was the second highest for a Bangladeshi player in ODI after Shakib Al Hasan. He jumped to the 13th position in ICC ODI Batsman Ranking with a career highest rating point of 737.
2019 Cricket World Cup and beyond
In April 2019, he was named in Bangladesh's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup
The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup was the 12th Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament contested by men's national teams and organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The tournament was hosted bet ...
. On 2 July 2019, in the match against India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, Tamim played in his 200th ODI.
In July 2019, Bangladesh's regular captain Mashrafe Mortaza was ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka due to a hamstring injury. Tamim was named as captain for the first time in ODIs. Prior to that he had only led Bangladesh in one Test match in 2017 against New Zealand.
2020
In March 2020, when Zimbabwe toured Bangladesh, he scored 158 runs off 136 balls in the 2nd ODI, highest individual score by any Bangladeshi batsman also second Bangladeshi batsman scored a century at Sylhet
Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...
and he became the first Bangladeshi batsman to score 7,000 runs in ODIs. In the 3rd ODI, He scored 128 runs off 109 balls and made a partnership of 292 runs with Litton Das in the opening wicket which is the highest partnership for Bangladesh for any wicket in ODIs.
ODI captaincy (2020–2023)
On 8 March 2020, Tamim was named the ODI captain of Bangladesh after Mashrafe Mortaza stepped down as ODI captain post Zimbabwe series in March 2020.
Since he took full time ODI captaincy, Bangladesh played their first ODI series against Windies in January 2021. Bangladesh went on to win the series by 3–0, while scoring 158 runs in three matches, he was the most run scorer in the series.
In May 2021, Sri Lanka toured Bangladesh for 3-match ODI series. Bangladesh won the first two matches and lost the third match and eventually won the ODI series by 2–1. It was Bangladesh's first bilateral series win against Sri Lanka.
On August 3, 2023, Tamim stepped down from the captaincy because of complications arising from a persistent back injury. He has been ruled out of the 2023 Asia Cup
The 2023 Asia Cup (also known as Super 11 Asia Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 14th edition of the men's Asia Cup cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players ...
but hopes to be fit before the three-month tour by New Zealand commencing September 21st. His successor has yet to be announced. Tamim led Bangladesh in 37 ODI matches, of which the Tigers won 21, lost 14 and 2 were no results.
International centuries
He is the highest individual run scorer for Bangladesh in limited-over formats and the only Bangladeshi cricketer to score centuries in all three formats of the game. Tamim is also Bangladesh's highest century maker in international matches with 25 centuries, combining all forms of cricket.
Temporary retirement and its withdrawal
On 27 January 2022, Iqbal took a six-month break from T20Is, and on 17 June 2022, shortly after winning the ODI series against West Indies by a 3–0 margin, he announced his retirement from T20I cricket through a Facebook post stating ''"Please consider me retired from T20Is from today. Thank you, everyone"''. On 6 July 2023, Tamim announced retirement from international cricket at a sudden press brief. He told ''''Yesterday's match against Afghanistan was the last match of my career. I'm retiring from international cricket, effective from right now. It was not a suddenly taken decision. Was thinking about it for a long time . I've even talked to family about it''.''
After a meeting with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina (''née'' Wazed; born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024. Premiership of Sheikh Hasina, Her ...
and with the mediations from Mashrafe Mortaza and Nazmul Hassan in Gonobhaban (Official Residence for the Prime Minister), due to the Prime Minister's personal intervention, Tamim has withdrawn decision to retire. '''' The Hon'ble Prime Minister invited me personally to her residence, Mashrafe bhai Mashrafe Mortazawas there, Papon bhai Nazmul Hassanwas also there. We had a long discussion, a long meeting.The Prime Minister has directed me that I might play. So I'm withdrawing my retirement decision right at this moment. Because I can say no to anybody. But the person who is the biggest he most importantof the country, it's impossible for me to turn her down'','' he spoke to the media after the meeting. On 10 January 2025, Tamim finally bid farewell to international cricket. In a post on his verified Facebook page, Tamim wrote, "I have been away from international cricket for quite some time, and I feel the distance will never end as this chapter of my life has come to an end".
Heart attack
On 24 March 2025, Tamim Iqbal suffered a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
during Match 24 of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. According to ''India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'', Iqbal reported discomfort while fielding against Shinepukur Cricket Club at which a medical team arrived to treat him while a helicopter was being called for a possible airlift. He suffered an alleged second heart attack and started frothing at the mouth while being loaded into the helicopter, pausing the airlift and resulting in him being taken to the closer Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital. Iqbal was in critical condition and was put on life support
Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform bas ...
. He arrived at the hospital in critical condition, according to doctors, and tests revealed a blockage in his arteries. The hospital confirmed that Tamim had come to the hospital twice, the second time having suffered a heart attack. Doctors conducted an angiogram and angioplasty to remove the blockage.
Records and achievements
National
* First Bangladeshi to score 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, 13,000 & 14,000 international runs.
* First batsman for Bangladesh to reach 6,000, 7,000 and 8,000 runs in ODIs.
* Named as one of ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "Bible of cricket" (or variations thereof) has been applied to ''Wi ...
's'' four Cricketers of the Year, and ''Wisden's'' Test Player of the Year, becoming just the second Bangladeshi player to be awarded the accolade (in 2011).
* Only Bangladeshi cricketer to score centuries in all three formats of the game.
* Most 100s in international cricket for Bangladesh - 25
* The highest run-scorer for Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
in international cricket, including Test
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film) ...
, ODIs
ODIS, or the Offender Data Information System is a web based, computerized records management software application to improve the capture, maintenance and quality of law enforcement data that is capable of running in any combination of centraliz ...
and second in T20Is
* Highest scorer in first-class cricket
First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is of three or more days scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officially adju ...
by a Bangladeshi batsman (with 334 not out
In cricket, a batsman is not out if they come out to bat in an innings and have not been dismissed by the end of an innings. The batsman is also ''not out'' while their innings is still in progress.
Occurrence
At least one batter is not out at ...
, for East Zone in the opening round of the 2019–20 Bangladesh Cricket League tournament.)
* First Bangladeshi batsman to score 6000 runs in T20s.
* First ever Bangladeshi batsman to achieve the milestone of scoring 14000 international runs.
* First Ever Bangladeshi batsman to achieve the milestone of scoring 8000 runs in recognized T20s.
International
* Highest run-scorer at a single venue in ODIs.
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Iqbal, Tamim
1989 births
Living people
Bangladesh Test cricketers
Bangladesh One Day International cricketers
Bangladesh Twenty20 International cricketers
21st-century Bangladeshi sportsmen
Comilla Victorians cricketers
Cricketers from Chittagong Division
Bangladeshi cricketers
Bangladesh South Zone cricketers
Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League cricketers
Nangarhar Leopards cricketers
Spin Ghar Tigers cricketers
Essex cricketers
Peshawar Zalmi cricketers
Chattogram Challengers cricketers
Saint Lucia Kings cricketers
Rajshahi Royals cricketers
Nottinghamshire cricketers
Cricketers from Chittagong
Asian Games medalists in cricket
Cricketers at the 2014 Asian Games
Asian Games bronze medalists for Bangladesh
Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games
Wayamba United cricketers
Wellington cricketers
Khan family (Bangladesh)
21st-century Muslims
Lahore Qalandars cricketers
Bangladeshi people of Bihari descent
Bangladeshi expatriate sportspeople in New Zealand
Bangladeshi expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate sportspeople in Saint Lucia
Bangladeshi expatriate cricketers in Pakistan
Expatriate cricketers in New Zealand
Expatriate cricketers in England
Bangladeshi expatriate cricketers in India
Bangladeshi expatriate cricketers in Sri Lanka
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Fortune Barishal cricketers