Usman Khawaja, Australia’s Pakistan-born batsman, bid farewell to international cricket earlier today, January 8, 2026, on the fifth and final day of the closing Ashes 2025/26 Test match.
The fixture, being played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), where Australia were tasked with scoring 160 runs on the last day of play, a modest target which they ended up chasing with 5 wickets in hand, winning the series 4-1.
Usman Khawaja got to bat, but got dismissed by England pacer Josh Tongue only after scoring 6 runs, featuring a solitary boundary. The batsman looked emotional as he walked back to the dressing room, as he took it all in for one last time. Check it out:
Thanks, Uzzy ❤️ #Ashes pic.twitter.com/h9HPM4arJy
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 8, 2026
Khawaja acknowledged the crowd with a wave of the bat, bowed down on the field in his final moments as an international cricketer for Australia.
‘Hard To Control My Emotions’: Khawaja On Retirement
Usman Khawaja revealed what was going on in his mind during his final innings for Australia, as reported by ESPNCricinfo:
“It means a lot. So much has gone into it. The only thing I wanted was a win, as much as I wanted to hit the winning runs. The whole Test match I found it hard to control my emotions.“
“I found it hard to concentrate in the middle. I’m grateful I’ve had the career I’ve had. I have full gratitude. It definitely got a bit too tight. You never count your chickens. We got the job done though,” he added.
Khawaja retires with 6,229 Test runs, 1,554 ODI runs, and 241 runs in T20Is, having won the ICC World Test Championship with Australia in 2023, beating India in the final.
Notably, he finished that WTC cycle as the second-highest run-scorer.
Also Check: ICC WTC: Updated Points Table After Australia Defeat England In Ashes 5th Test
