Mushfiqur Rahim has ruled out a return to Bangladesh‘s ODI side, confirming that he was asked to come back after announcing his retirement from the format last year following the team’s early exit from the Champions Trophy.

“I did get the message (to return to the ODI side), but I feel that they don’t need my service any longer. They are doing well, and they will keep getting better,” he said during the pre-match press conference in Sylhet on Friday.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh’s ODI captain, is understood to have initiated those discussions over the last couple of months and had also spoken in favour of Mushfiqur’s comeback in recent media interactions.

The prospect of Mushfiqur’s return came amid concerns over Bangladesh’s fragile middle order in ODIs. The issue was evident in the home series against New Zealand, where the line-up struggled for stability, most notably in the collapse in the first ODI. Miraz had said that Mushfiqur’s experience and presence could strengthen the side.

Following his retirement from ODIs, Mushfiqur has remained available only for Tests, having also retired from T20Is in 2022. He featured in 10 matches in last season’s Dhaka Premier League and has signed for Mohammedan Sporting Club for the current campaign, although he is yet to play a game this season.

Mushfiqur finished his ODI career as Bangladesh’s second-highest run-getter with 7795 runs including nine hundreds in 274 matches. Widely regarded as one of Bangladesh’s ODI greats, he rose to prominence during the 2007 World Cup after being selected ahead of veteran wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud. He was Bangladesh’s middle-order mainstay from 2009 to 2025, a period in which the team grew into a consistently competitive ODI outfit.