Taskin Ahmed recently became only the third Bangladeshi pacer after Mashrafe Mortaz and Shahadat Hossain to reach 50 Test wickets, but that offered no real cause for celebration. Bangladesh have relied heavily on spin for years, with a thin and inconsistent history of fast bowling at Test level.
Mashrafe started his career on fire but a persistent knee injury forced him to quit Test cricket as early as 2009. Since then, several pacers; Abu Jayed, Rubel Hossain, Khaled Ahmed and Shafiul Islam among others have come and gone, but none have really managed to build a lasting fast-bowling legacy for Bangladesh.
However, this story begins to shift with the arrival of Nahid Rana. A few years ago in the Bangladesh Premier League, the tall, wiry 20-year-old in Khulna Tigers colors turned heads by regularly clocking over 145 kmph, an uncommon sight in Bangladeshi cricket at the time.
NAHID TURN ON THE HEATING
Nahid Rana recently won the ‘back-to-back Player of the Series’ award in ODIs. Courtesy: Nahid Rana Facebook
Its rise has accelerated since then. Playing with Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2026, Nahid earned praise from former South African all-rounder JP Duminy, who described his raw pace and growing control as a real threat to top-order batsmen. Nahid was initially erratic at the international level after his debut against Sri Lanka in 2024, but the Chapai Nawabgonj speedster has steadily honed his skills and the improvement is now evident.
He produced a landmark performance on Tuesday to become the only Bangladeshi pacer to take five wickets in the fourth innings of a Test to help the Tigers. they secured their first home Test win over Pakistan.
The excitement around him is real, but so is the caution. Managing a true detachment is delicate work. Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and James Anderson have become long-time greats not only through talent but also through careful workload management by their boards.
For Bangladesh, the challenge is clear: protect Nahid Rana wisely or risk another promising fast-bowling story fizzle out too soon.
BACK FIRE
Against Pakistan, Nahid Rana showed the heart of a true fast bowler, raw, brutal and fearless. Once attacked, he hits harder and Shaheen Shah Afridi felt exactly that in a fiery exchange during the Test.
Earlier in the first innings, Shaheen hit Rana on the helmet with a sharp bouncer, but the young Bangladeshi quickly refused to back down. With renewed aggression, Rana returned and returned the intimidation to make sure Shaheen felt the same pressure.
In fact, Rana sealed the victory for Bangladesh by dismissing Shaheen with a sharp bouncer.
Champions rise when it matters most. Bangladesh national cricket team dominates and defeats Pakistan national cricket team by 104 runs. From stunning goals to winning strikes, it was more than just a win. pic.twitter.com/2ZdknFfjL8— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) May 12, 2026
“If you hit Nahid Rana with a bouncer, you have to be ready to face one from him. I wouldn’t hit him with one,” Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said after the match about the pacer’s fearless mindset.
It wasn’t just Shaheen who faced the heat. The rest of Pakistan’s batsmen also dealt with knocks and discomfort as Rana kept hitting hard lengths and testing their resolve. With Shanto fully supporting him, Bangladesh created the attacking fields and created constant pressure, which ensured that Pakistan’s batsmen never found any breathing space.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Nahid Rana has been impressive for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2026. Courtesy: Nahid Rana Facebook
If you thought Nahid Rana’s rise was limited to Test cricket, you couldn’t be more wrong. The fast bowler has been Bangladesh’s top performer in ODIs this year, topping the wicket charts with 16 wickets in just six matches at an economy rate of 4.89, including two five-wicket hauls.
His impact was such that Nahid became the first Bangladeshi pacer to win the ODI Player of the Series award. His fiery spells propelled Bangladesh to ODI series wins over Pakistan and New Zealand, boosting their hopes of direct qualification for next year’s ODI World Cup.
GREAT STUFF FROM NAHID RANA IN PSL 2026 FINAL..!!!
– Gatekeeper around him after being injured.
– He became the only second bowler to bowl a maiden in a PSL final. pic.twitter.com/o7iqW36pQI—Abdullah. (@Abdullahh_56) May 3, 2026
In T20 cricket too, Nahid has started to make his mark. While he is still finding his feet at international level, his nine wickets in five matches for Peshawar Zalmi in this season’s PSL offered a glimpse of the damage he can cause in the shortest format.
Unlike Shoriful Islam or Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid did not emerge from the well-trodden U19 path. Instead, it was his raw pace, which is rare in Bangladeshi cricket, that forced the selectors to quickly include him in the national set-up. His first two years in international cricket could not have gone better.
However, Bangladesh’s responsibility does not end with the discovery of Nahid. The Bangladesh Cricket Board must now nurture him carefully, protect his body, manage his workload and ensure that this rare gem of fast bowling continues to shine not only in bilateral series but also on the biggest stages of world cricket.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
13 May 2026 11:42 IST
