Bangladesh have been sweating on Nahid Rana’s fitness ahead of the high-profile Tests in Australia

Bangladesh’s preparations for their eagerly-awaited Test tour of Australia have suffered early setbacks, with paceman Nahid Rana in a race against time to recover from a side strain ahead of next month’s two-match series.

Considered one of Bangladesh’s brightest red-ball prospects, the 23-year-old suffered the injury during the second T20I against Zimbabwe, just days after taking a career-best 4 for 26 in the series opener. He has already been eliminated from Sunday’s series decider.

Rana’s run in the second match was cut short after he suffered an injury midway through his spell, forcing him off the field after playing only 2.3 overs. The speedster finished 1-for-15 and is expected to spend the next two to three weeks on the sidelines.

The Tigers are set to tour Australia for a Test series for the first time in 18 years, with both matches being part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.

Rana’s potential absence would come as a big blow to Bangladesh, who consider the youngster a vital weapon in Australian conditions. Standing well over six feet tall and capable of consistently hitting speeds in excess of 145 kmph, he has added a new dimension to Bangladesh’s bowling attack since bursting onto the international scene.

The right-arm pacer has had a breakthrough year in international cricket. He emerged as one of Bangladesh’s leading wicket-takers in the ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year, taking eight wickets and sharing the Player of the Series award. His raw pace also troubled Australia during their white-ball tour of Bangladesh in June, earning him widespread praise as one of the standout performers of the series.

The decisive piece in the puzzle at the pace of Bangladesh

Bangladesh are expected to lean heavily on their attack in Australia, with Rana tipped to spearhead the pace battery alongside Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam. Ahead of the opening Test, the visitors will take on a Cricket Australia XI in a three-day warm-up match in Darwin from August 5-7, although the team is likely to proceed cautiously with the young speedster’s recovery.

A member of Bangladesh’s national selection committee confirmed the development to Cricbuzz and said the team management is eagerly awaiting the scan results that will determine the severity of the injury and the timeline for Rana’s return.

“The way he is bowling at the moment, missing him for the Australian tour would be a big blow, so we are waiting to see the depth of his injury and actually how many days he will take to recover,” the selector said.

Rana’s rise has been one of the biggest positives for Bangladesh in the last year. The Chapai Nawabganj-born speedster has quickly established himself as one of the fastest bowlers in the country and remains central to the team’s plans in the longer format.

The opening Test will begin at the Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin on August 13, before the teams travel to Mackay for the second and final Test, which is scheduled to begin at the Great Barrier Reef Arena on August 22.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

19 Jul 2026 14:35 IST