Young Bangladesh speedster Nahid Rana has made rapid strides since his international debut in March 2024. While he burst onto the scene for his raw pace and talent, his recent form has been extraordinary.
During the BAN vs NZ 2nd ODI today (April 20), Nahid entered the record books with a matchwinning five-wicket haul. In the process, he registered the third-best ODI figures by a Bangladesh bowler of 5/32 against NZ.
Now, as the Bangla Tigers prepare for a strong return to the 2027 ODI World Cup after missing the T20 World Cup 2026 due to political reasons, let’s see why Nahid Rana will hold the key for their success at the ICC event.
Speaking about his recent numbers, Nahid Rana has enjoyed sublime form, picking up 14 wickets in five ODI games this year, at an average of 17.3 while maintaining a tidy economy of less than 6 runs per over.
He finished as the top wicket-taker of the three-match home Pakistan ODI series earlier in March with eight wickets in three games, where he took another fifer of 5/24. He has now continued his dream run by leading the charts in the ongoing 50-over series against the Kiwis with six wickets in two games.
Meanwhile, he also briefly plied his trade in the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2026) before honouring his national commitments and had looked impressive, snaring seven scalps in just four games with best figures of 3/7.
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While Bangladesh have had wicket-taking bowlers in the past and in the current setup in the likes of Taskin Ahmed, Mustafiur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, they have always lacked someone with express pace.
This is where Nahid Rana can be a X factor in the 2027 ODI World Cup, which is slated to be held in South Africa. With his ability to constantly clock speeds north of 140 kph, he can exploit the the Proteas conditions which are known to offer pace and bounce.
He can trouble batters with his natural short-of-a-length threat while also having the arsenal to influence different phases of the game. He can produce movement off the seam, required to find success with the new ball while boasting a newly developed lethal yorker for the death overs.
Given below is a breakdown of his success across different types of deliveres in ODIs for better understanding.
| Type of Deliveries | Wickets |
|---|---|
| BackOfALength | 8 |
| Beamer | |
| FullToss | |
| HalfTracker | |
| HalfVolley | 1 |
| LengthBall | 5 |
| Short | 2 |
| Yorker | 3 |
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