Sydney: Australian batsman Usman Khawaja has announced his retirement from cricket. Bringing the curtain down on a distinguished 15-year career, Khawaja will bid farewell to the game after the Sydney Test, which will be his final appearance in the Ashes series. With this decision, he becomes the first international cricketer to announce retirement in 2026.
Khawaja made his international debut for Australia in 2011 and went on to represent the national side across all three formats. While he featured in Tests, One-Day Internationals, and T20 Internationals, he achieved his greatest success in Test cricket. Despite being part of a team filled with star players, Khawaja carved out a unique and respected place for himself.
For Australia, Khawaja played a total of 87 Test matches, 40 ODIs, and 9 T20 Internationals. In Test cricket, he scored 6,206 runs at an average of 43.39, including 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries, with a highest score of 232. In the ODI format, he accumulated 1,554 runs, registering two centuries and twelve half-centuries. In T20 Internationals, he scored 241 runs.
Khawaja also enjoyed a successful domestic career, notably in the Big Bash League, where he scored 2,132 runs in 70 matches. In addition, he featured in several major franchise tournaments, including the Indian Premier League, the Vitality Blast, and the Pakistan Super League.
