Nahid Rana has rewritten Bangladesh’s ODI record books, becoming the first pace bowler from the country to win the player of the series award in consecutive series.
The 23-year-old claimed the honour after a match-winning display against New Zealand, having previously shared the award with Tanzid Hasan in the series against Pakistan. Before Nahid, only Mashrafe Bin Mortaza had won the ODI player of the series award twice for Bangladesh. Nahid has now not only matched that feat but surpassed it, becoming the first Bangladeshi pacer to do so in back-to-back campaigns — a record even Mashrafe did not achieve.
Nahid endured a difficult opening to the New Zealand series, returning figures of one wicket for 65 runs from 10 overs in the first match. What followed was a masterclass in pace bowling. He responded with match-winning spells in each of the next two games, sealing victories and cementing his place as the standout performer of the series.
The series award itself had little debate. The player of the match was a closer call — Najmul Hossain Shanto’s century narrowly edging out Mustafizur Rahman’s five-wicket haul — but for the series honour, Nahid was the unanimous choice.
Mashrafe’s two series awards were separated by years: one against Kenya in 2006 and another against Zimbabwe in 2007. Nahid, by contrast, has claimed the honour in consecutive series, making his achievement all the more significant.
The consistency across both campaigns is striking. He took eight wickets in each series, including a five-wicket haul in one match on both occasions. His bowling average and economy rate were superior in the New Zealand series, though the Pakistan series was played on considerably more batting-friendly surfaces.
Only four Bangladesh pace bowlers have ever won an ODI player of the series award. Mustafizur Rahman was the first, claiming 13 wickets against India on his debut series in 2015. Taskin Ahmed followed in 2022 with eight wickets on tour in South Africa. Mashrafe did it twice. Nahid has now not only joined that group but leads it outright with consecutive series honours.
