CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2025: Nahid Rana is used to life in the fast lane

Ray Sportz Web Desk: Nahid Rana a new sensation of Bangladesh cricket. This 22 year old pacer holds the record for the fastest ball bowled (152.0kph) by a Bangladeshi bowler in international cricket. It is a rise made all the more impressive by the fact Nahid did not pick up a hard cricket ball until his late teens, having grown up playing taped tennis ball cricket in Rajshahi. But having established himself in the Tigers squad, he is now ready for his first taste of an ICC global event at the upcoming Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 – a prospect he is relishing.

Before facing the mighty Indian squad Nahid told “The opportunity to play against the best cricketers in the world is the highest form of inspiration”. He also added “I am enjoying every moment of international cricket. Things have happened very fast but I’m grateful for everything. It is never easy to adapt to international cricket but I was lucky in the sense that I got to play a good number of first-class matches before my debut.”

This young Bangladeshi pacer could change the things for the Bangladesh cricket team. Nahid said “I learned every day on and off the field, from fitness to how to take care of the body, the diet, understanding and executing plans, learning from the coaches and the more experienced players. He also added “The team expected me to bowl fast and used me as an attacking option. I tried to repay the faith by sticking to my strengths and staying humble.”

Nahid made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in March 2024 and immediately caught the eye, taking three wickets in the visitors’ first innings. He built on those performances in Pakistan later in the year, notably dismissing Babar Azam, Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel in the space of three consecutive overs in Rawalpindi to help his side to a 2-0 series win. The Tigers are back in the same destination for their Group A clashes against the hosts and New Zealand, with Nahid hoping to pick up where he left off.