Nahid Rana: The latest Tiger in the fast lane

When Nahid Rana was named in the Bangladesh squad for the Sri Lanka Tests, it came as a bit of a surprise to many who follow Bangladesh cricket religiously. Hailing from Chapainawabganj, the right-arm fast bowler sporadically played for Khulna Tigers in the last two seasons of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He did not do anything spectacular in those limited opportunities in the tournament but one thing caught everyone's eye - his raw pace.

Rana has played only 15 first-class matches, four List A games and five T20s but his red-ball numbers and particularly his pace is hard to ignore. Out of his seven overs he bowled in the BPL 2024, 17 were over 140 kph. Against Rangpur Riders, he clocked 149.7 kph in a delivery. He is currently the fastest bowler in professional cricket in the country and that's a reason why he has been fast-tracked to the Test set-up.

A Test call-up is a dream come true moment for Rana and he wants to bowl at 150 kph as well as add new weapons up his sleeve. 

The 21-year-old is a late starter when it comes to cricket. He got himself admitted into Clemon Cricket Academy in Rajshahi at the age of 18 and within only three years, he has earned a national call-up, bypassing many levels of cricket. 

He caught the eye of Test cricketer turned coach Alamgir Kabir at the academy. Rana began working with Kabir and later got called up to an Under-19 camp although he eventually he couldn't make the final squad for the 2022 U-19 World Cup.

He used to bowl in the nets to the likes of Najmul Hossain Shanto, now Bangladesh's captain, and Jahurul Islam. He caught their eye which earned him a National Cricket League (NCL) gig.

In just his second season, Rana delivered an outstanding performance, picking up 32 wickets in just six first-class games. He now has 63 wickets in 15 red-ball games at 21.9.

His joy knew no bounds when he was named in the Test squad. "I am very happy. It's like a dream, I can't express the feeling in words," Rana told The Business Standard (TBS) in an exclusive interview. "I had a feeling that I could get a call-up anytime. I was prepared and it happened."

With no Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain, the Bangladesh bowling attack lacked pace and that's why Rana could well make his debut in Sylhet in the first Test.

"If I get an opportunity, my target would be to help the team win. I want to give my best and contribute to the team's win. I am not thinking beyond that," the pacer said.

His family didn't support the idea of him playing cricket. They gave him a condition that if he could pass the SSC, they would get him admitted into the academy. 

Rana took it as a challenge and passed the exams.

"When I got myself admitted into Clemon Academy, I was 18. Before that, I used to play tape tennis cricket and five-star cricket in the neighbourhood."

"There I caught the eye of Alamgir Kabir Sir. I was crazy about cricket. My family did not like it but couldn't talk myself out of my decision to pursue cricket. Then they enrolled me in the academy after I passed the SSC. Now everyone supports me," he said.

About his early days, Rana said, "I have always bowled quickly. Then I impressed Shanto bhai and [Jahurul Islam] Omi bhai. They got me an opportunity in the NCL and I did well there. It sort of opened the doors for me. Then I got called up to the HP camp and then in the BPL and now in the national team."

"I actually never thought I would become a pacer. I was probably in class three or four. I didn't play much. Once I tried bowling with a tennis ball. I noticed I could bowl quite fast. Then the effort has got me here," he mentioned. 

He surely has the pace but sometimes he is a bit wayward when it comes to line and length. He knows it and is trying hard to rectify it as much as he can. 

"Pace is one of my weapons but I am not thinking about only that. I just want to win matches for the team. The pace is god-gifted so it will take care of itself. I went very close, so I want to touch 150 kph."

"I have a lot to work on. I am just starting out. I want to gain control in my line and length. I work on it with all the coaches I play under. Only the pace won't do, putting the ball in the right areas is important," he concluded.