A fitness camp for Bangladesh’s Asia Cup preliminary squad is currently underway at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, and while most players reported on time for Tuesday’s session, fast bowler Nahid Rana arrived noticeably late.
Carrying his kit slung over his shoulder, the country’s fastest bowler made his way straight to the ice box and took a seat, missing the bulk of the session. By then, teammates like Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed were already soaked in sweat, exhausted from the rigorous drills supervised by Australian trainer Nathan Kelly.
Despite his tardiness, Kelly voiced no concerns about Nahid’s fitness. Just two days earlier, the pacer had won a 1600-metre run at the national stadium. Speaking to the media, the trainer praised Nahid’s physical condition and suggested that missing the session was not a setback.
Later that morning, Nahid was seen at the academy ground nets, bowling at full tilt in net number 27. From the media plaza, his run-up appeared unusually long, reflecting his intent to unleash maximum pace. He was clearly working on his yorkers, mixing them with good-length deliveries. Though a few yorkers landed as half-volleys or veered wide down leg, several others hit the mark with precision.
He also alternated between balls of varying age — using the new ball for length deliveries and the older one to rehearse his yorkers. The method reflected a deliberate focus on match-specific planning.
Nahid has become a near-regular in the Test side, with 9 appearances in just over a year and a half. His white-ball career, however, is still in its infancy, having featured in only 4 ODIs and a single T20I, which came in May 2025 against the UAE. In that T20I, he picked up two wickets but conceded 50 runs, bowling across all phases of the innings.
With the Asia Cup also set to take place in the UAE, the 21-year-old is looking to strengthen his case for selection. As competition among Bangladesh’s pace options intensifies, Nahid appears determined to make his mark through focused, individual training — even if that means arriving late to a fitness session.