Veteran Australia opener Usman Khawaja has announced his retirement plans ahead of the Sydney Test of the ongoing Ashes series, which begins on January 4, 2026. During a press interaction, Khawaja confirmed that he would retire from international cricket after the final Test of the series.
Khawaja revealed that the thought had been on his mind for some time and that, even before the series began, he sensed it could be his final one. “I’ve been thinking about it, not wholly, but for a while,” he told reporters. “Moving into this series, I kind of had an inkling in my head that this would be the last series.”
With his family present in the SCG press room, Khawaja spoke about the discussions he had at home and with the team management. “I talked to Rachel [his wife] about it a fair bit, and I knew this was a big chance. I didn’t leave the door fully shut, because I knew there was a chance I could play on. I know [coach] Andrew McDonald, even right till the very end, when I told him a few days ago, he was still thinking about how I could get to India [in 2027].”
So far, Khawaja has represented Australia in 87 Tests, scoring 6206 runs at an average of 43.39, including 28 fifties and 16 centuries. He is now set to play his final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where his international journey began. Khawaja made his Test debut against England in January 2011.
Reflecting on the significance of the venue and the timing of his decision, Khawaja explained why the SCG felt like the right place to step away.
“I’m glad I get to leave on my own terms, with a little bit of dignity, and go out at the SCG where I love,” he said. “But I think the start of the series was a pretty tough time. Then going into Adelaide and not being picked initially for the game, that was probably a sign for me to say, ‘all right, it’s time to move on’.”
It has been a challenging Ashes series for the experienced batter. In the opening Test in Perth, Khawaja suffered back spasms and later came out to bat at No. 4, scoring just two runs. He was ruled out of the second Test due to the same issue. He returned for the third and fourth Tests, scoring 82 and 40 in Adelaide, followed by 29 and a duck in Melbourne.
Khawaja also spoke about the support he received from head coach McDonald, who had encouraged him to continue over the last two years.
“I said to him, if, at any stage right now, if you want me to retire, I will retire straight away,” said Khawaja. “I have no issue. I’m not hanging on for myself. That was the most annoying thing, because I felt people were coming at me, and I felt they were saying I was selfish for staying on. But I wasn’t staying on for myself. Andrew McDonald practically said, no, I want you to stay. We need you for Sri Lanka and the World Test Championship. I want you to stay on. And so I did.”
Despite stepping away from international cricket, Khawaja confirmed that he will continue to play domestic cricket. He will represent the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (BBL) and Queensland later in the summer in the Sheffield Shield.
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