Nahid Rana’s early stint with cricket was limited to playing with a tennis ball.

Such was the lack of facilities in the Bangladesh pacer’s place of birth, Chapai Nawabganj — close to Bengal’s Malda and Murshidabad districts — that he got hold of the leather ball in 2020 following his induction into the Clemon Rajshahi Cricket Academy.

The hard work he put in there earned him a berth in the Rajshahi team for the National Cricket League two years later. He finished as one of the top wicket-takers with 30-odd scalps. That played a big role in fast-tracking Nahid to the national team, where he impressed on his first day in Test cricket — in March 2024 against Sri Lanka in Sylhet, when he took three wickets.

Since then, there has been no looking back for the 23-year-old speedster, who drew attention with his extra pace and ability to generate steep bounce.

Nahid had first hogged the limelight with his 4/44 in the Rawalpindi Test against Pakistan later that year, emerging as the first Bangladeshi to bowl in excess of 150kmph. Then, in December 2024, he took 5/61 in Kingston against the West Indies, key in Bangladesh finishing the series 1-1.

What bodes well for Bangladesh is the young fast bowler making gradual improvements and adding the reverse swing and yorker to his arsenal.

The reverse swing, which Nahid has been able to work on under the guidance of Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach Shaun Tait, was massive in helping him to his second Test fifer (5/40) in Bangladesh’s 104-run win over Pakistan in the first Test in Mirpur on Tuesday. His 147kmph-delivery, which reverse-swung and cleaned up Mohammad Rizwan en route to his five-wicket haul, was a standout feature of his spell.

Nahid has 21 wickets from 11 ODI appearances but he has been making progress in T20s too.

Before the Pakistan Super League final on May 3, a top official of his franchise, Peshawar Zalmi, had requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board to release him for the final. Nahid was supposed to rest during that period, but the BCB considered the franchise’s request, and he finished with 2/22 in Peshawar’s five-wicket win over Hyderabad Kingsmen in Lahore.

Run-up correction

Pace and bounce was always this naturally strong cricketer’s forte, but what troubled Nahid initially were issues with his run-up and accuracy. Former Bangladesh quick Talha Jubair helped him correct them.

“What made my task easier was Nahid’s willingness to learn and his thinking capacity. He’s out to prove that his impressive performances
in the past were no
flash in the pan,” Jubair told The Telegraph from Dhaka on Wednesday.