Nahid Rana is among the quickest bowlers in the Bangladesh cricket circuit and after troubling the likes of Babar Azam, Shan Masood, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in his five-match-long Test career so far, he finally made his ODI debut against Afghanistan in the third ODI in Sharjah on Monday. (More Cricket News)
The 22-year-old pace battery has taken 14 wickets in Test cricket and belongs to a rare breed of Bangladesh seamers who can bowl above 140 kilometres per hour consistently.
Rana and Nasum Ahmed's arrival in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was delayed due to visa issues and because of that, they were unavailable for selection in the opening match against Afghanistan.
Bangladesh lost the first match by 92 runs but defeated Afghanistan by 68 runs in the second ODI to level the series. Taskin Ahmed got injured in the second match and that opened the way for Rana's debut in the series decider.
Who Is Nahid Rana?
The right-arm fast bowler was spotted by former Bangladesh Test bowler Alamgir Kabir in 2019 while playing a tape-tennis ball tournament. Kabir was impressed by his speed and character.
Nahid had only two things according to Kabir - his pace and a shy smile. And these two were enough to make him a good cricketer.
Born in Chapai Nawabgonj, Rana has already taken around 70 wickets in 17 first-class matches since making his debut in November 2021. He established himself in long-format cricket and secured a place in the BCB High-Performance Unit camp in 2023, impressing West Indian pace bowling coach Corey Collymore, who oversaw the camp.
Nahid clicked 150.9 kmph during his ODI debut game against Afghanistan which is the fastest delivery by a Bangladesh bowler in any format. He also bowled the top-five fastest deliveries in the series.
But Rana's ODI debut could not become memorable for him as Bangladesh lost the match by five wickets and eventually the series. But his bowling figures of 10-1-40-2 were impressive for a debutant sans his six wide deliveries.
Nahid Rana has a smooth bowling action and a strong follow-through. Alamgir Kabir improved his bowling technique early in his career, which has allowed him to generate more pace. As he continues to play more at the international level, he is expected to develop and mature as a cricketer.
