Bangladesh veteran Mushfiqur Rahim has achieved a historic milestone in his long and illustrious career, becoming the first batter from his country to accumulate 7,000 runs in the Test format. The 39-year-old accomplished this feat during the ongoing second Test match against the West Indies, held in Sylhet. The landmark moment occurred when Rahim took a single off a delivery from West Indies spinner Roston Chase, moving his individual score to nine runs for the innings.
While the seasoned campaigner initially appeared focused on the game and seemingly unaware of the specific run-count milestone, the gravity of the achievement was quickly acknowledged by his teammates. Players in the Bangladesh dressing room rose from their seats to offer a standing ovation, celebrating the consistency and longevity that has defined Rahim’s career in the sport's longest format. This achievement comes at a significant time for the team, as Rahim returned to the squad for the second Test after being forced to sit out the opening match of the series due to a finger injury.
The journey to this historic 7,000-run mark reflects the gradual evolution of a cricketer who has been a mainstay in the Bangladesh setup since his international debut in 2005. Rahim previously became the first Bangladeshi batter to breach the 5,000-run mark in 2022, followed by his 6,000-run milestone in 2024. He reached the current 7,000-run plateau in his 107th Test appearance, needing only 25 innings to progress from 6,000 to 7,000 runs. His career tally in Tests currently includes 14 centuries, with a personal highest score of an unbeaten 219.
To put his current standing in perspective, Mominul Haque remains the second-highest run-scorer for Bangladesh in Test cricket, with a total of 5,293 runs, followed by former opening batter Tamim Iqbal in third place. While Mominul has notched 13 Test centuries and Tamim 10, Rahim’s steady accumulation of runs over nearly two decades has allowed him to pull ahead of his peers as the country’s most prolific run-getter in the format.
The match in which the record was broken also saw another significant shift in the team's record books. Earlier in the same Test in Sylhet, Towhid Hridoy surpassed Rahim’s long-standing record for the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi batter, hitting an unbeaten 242. Rahim’s previous high of 219 not out had long been the benchmark for the side, highlighting the changing of the guard within the batting order even as veterans like Rahim continue to contribute.
Rahim’s career is marked by his transition from a lower-middle-order batter and wicketkeeper to one of the team's most dependable middle-order pillars. Having taken over the captaincy in 2011, he matured into a versatile player capable of handling various conditions and opponents. Beyond his Test records, Rahim also posted significant career numbers in limited-overs cricket, scoring 6,697 runs in One Day Internationals and 1,495 in T20 Internationals, though he has since retired from those formats to focus primarily on Test cricket.
As he continues to build on his legacy in his 107th Test match, Rahim’s milestone serves as a testament to his dedication to the sport. Having become the first Bangladeshi player to reach 100 Test caps in November 2025, his ongoing participation underscores a career defined by evolution and unwavering service to the national team. For now, the focus remains on the current contest against the West Indies as the veteran continues his pursuit of further milestones on the international stage.
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