nahid rana produced a sensational spell to claim his maiden five-wicket haul and rattle Pakistan’s batting lineup on Wednesday (ET) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The 23-year-old ripped through the Pakistan top order after Bangladesh opted to bowl first, removing the first five wickets of the innings and leaving the visitors 71 for six in 20 overs. The performance came in the opening ODI of the three-match series and marked Rana’s best figures in the format.
Nahid Rana: The Spell and Figures
Nahid Rana finished with a maiden ODI five-for, registering 5/24 in a seven-over spell while consistently bowling in the 140kmph range, the statistics show. The 23-year-old fast bowler was playing his sixth ODI and his first on home soil after five previous matches abroad; before this match he had taken a total of five ODI wickets from his earlier games. Rana had last featured in an ODI against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi in October. His domestic and franchise form is also noted: in the BPL he has collected 23 wickets across spells for Khulna Tigers and Rangpur Riders, and he has been fast-tracked into Bangladesh’s Test ranks, having played a debut Test against Sri Lanka and accrued Test wickets in the format.
How the Wickets Fell
Pakistan began with a steady 41-run opening stand between debutants Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat, but Rana broke that partnership by dismissing Farhan for 27 with the last ball of the first Powerplay. Shamyl Hussain, who had earlier been dropped on two by Tanzid Hasan Tamim, became Rana’s second victim after scoring four. Sadaqat followed, falling for 18, and Rana then removed Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha for 10 and five respectively to complete his five-wicket haul. Skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz later removed debutant Abdul Samad for a duck as Pakistan slumped to 71 for six in 20 overs.
What Comes Next
With the series now underway, attention turns to the remaining two matches of the three-match series and how Bangladesh will manage a pace attack that has produced a rapid breakthrough. Team selection and bowling plans for the next fixtures will be watched closely, especially whether Rana retains his place and role after this breakout performance. The visiting side must regroup after a top-order collapse that left them on the back foot early in Mirpur.
nahid rana’s breakthrough on Wednesday (ET) has altered the immediate calculus of the series: a young pacer posting a maiden five-for in front of a home crowd shifts the spotlight onto Bangladesh’s pace battery and leaves Pakistan with selection and tactical questions to answer in the next two ODIs.
