Unbelievable. Unplayable. Few phrases better capture Nahid Rana’s searing spell against New Zealand in the second ODI on Monday, as Bangladesh produced a commanding performance at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Express fast bowlers are often described as a double-edged sword. On some days, they can single-handedly win matches; on others, they can prove expensive. Nahid embodied both extremes in this series. In the opening ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday, he conceded 65 runs in 10 overs for just one wicket.
Two days later, he returned as a completely different bowler.
In a must-win clash to keep the series alive, Nahid produced a spell defined by raw pace, control, and relentless aggression. Bangladesh went on to seal a six-wicket victory while chasing 198, with 87 balls to spare, thanks to twin half-centuries from Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Yet it was Nahid’s extraordinary effort under the blazing Mirpur sun that set the tone.
Temperatures hovered between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius but felt closer to 43. While umpires called for frequent drinks breaks and even the fittest players, including Shanto, struggled with cramps and had to retire hurt, Nahid remained unfazed. There was no drop in intensity, no visible fatigue.
The young pacer tore through New Zealand’s batting line-up with sheer pace and hostility. The speed gun stayed busy as he delivered 19 balls above 140 kph, including two that touched 150 kph. Remarkably, even his slowest delivery clocked 112 kph.
His approach was precise and varied. Against right-handers, he unleashed sharp, rising bouncers, accounting for three of his five wickets. Against left-handers, he attacked with full, searing deliveries that offered no respite in the oppressive heat.
Nahid entered the attack in the eighth over with a seven-over-old ball and made an immediate impact. His very first delivery, clocked at 144 kph, trapped Henry Nicholls lbw, breaking the opening stand.
In his next over, he struck again. A 146.8 kph bouncer forced Will Young into an awkward fend, the ball flying to backward point where Shanto completed the catch.
Muhammad Abbas fell to a similar short-ball ploy, mistiming a pull off a 144.1 kph delivery. The ball looped towards fine leg, where Litton Das, playing his 100th ODI, sprinted forward to complete a superb diving catch.
Dean Foxcroft became Nahid’s fourth victim, caught by Towhid Hridoy, before the young quick sealed his five-wicket haul by dismantling Jayden Lennox with a near-141 kph delivery aimed at the base of the stumps.
He was the partnership-breaker throughout. In three separate spells, Nahid struck with the very first ball of the over, doing so three times in this match alone.
New Zealand’s top scorer Nick Kelly, who stood firm with a composed 83 off 102 balls while wickets fell around him, offered a telling assessment of Nahid’s spell:
“Yeah, he’s a really exciting young talent. He bowls with good pace, and I think the wicket suited him today. There was a little bit more there for him, a little bit more grass on the wicket, and he swung the ball as well at mid-140s, high-140s. So yeah, I think Bangladesh has got a good young fast bowler.”
Kelly’s innings briefly steadied New Zealand after early blows. He shared a 56-run stand with Muhammad Abbas following Tom Latham’s dismissal by Soumya Sarkar. But just as that partnership threatened to grow, captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz turned back to Nahid, who needed only three deliveries in his second spell to break through again.
Modern cricket demands fast bowlers who can consistently hit hard lengths at high pace while maintaining control. Nahid has shown he can do exactly that. A Bangladeshi pacer regularly unsettling batters with bouncers remains a rare sight, as many tend to prioritise containment over aggression.
Nahid, however, is cut from a different cloth.
At the post-match press conference, he explained his mindset:
“It’s all about reading the situation. Sometimes restricting runs can have a bigger impact for the team, while at other times taking wickets is more important. I think the key is to understand what the situation demands and bowl accordingly.”
Reflecting on his difficult outing in the first ODI, he added:
“Not every day or every match goes well for a player. The last match may not have been a good day for me, and I couldn’t execute what I was trying to do. I was still trying to stick to my plans, but it didn’t come off.”
When it comes to raw pace that unsettles and intimidates, Nahid Rana is rapidly emerging as a standout name. Fast bowlers of his kind are rare, almost like gold dust. Sustaining such speed requires discipline, conditioning, recovery, and an unrelenting hunger to improve.
A fellow pacer once remarked, “Nahid does not roam around with everyone. You will not see him here and there. He has his own world.”
At the centre of it all lies a simple philosophy.
“I always try to contribute in a way that even one good over can help my team win. If that over creates an impact for the team, I am happy. For me, it matters more whether I can help my team win rather than just taking wickets. That is what matters most to me.”
On a sweltering afternoon in Mirpur, Nahid Rana did exactly that.
