From tape tennis to express pace: The meteoric rise of Nahid Rana

The rise of Nahid Rana in international cricket is nothing short of a modern-day fairytale.

Today, he is widely recognised as one of the most exciting young fast-bowling prospects in world cricket, routinely clocking speeds north of 145–150 km/h.

However, his journey to the pinnacle of the sport required breaking free from a habit that holds back countless raw talents in South Asia: a deep addiction to local tape-tennis cricket.

In a recent interview with a national daily, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto shed light on the strict discipline and vigilance required to transition Rana from gully cricket to the international arena.

Reflecting on Rana's early days, Shanto revealed: "He used to want to play a lot of tape-tennis cricket. I used to forbid him. I even designated three to four people whose sole job was to monitor whether he was going to play tape-tennis and report back to me. That is how I slowly pulled him away from tape-tennis."

For an express fast bowler, tape-tennis cricket can be a double-edged sword.

While it develops raw pace and natural aggression, the lightweight ball and altered bowling mechanics frequently lead to severe injury risks, poor line and length discipline, and improper action development.

Shanto, recognising the generational talent at his disposal, took it upon himself to act not just as a captain, but as a guardian of Rana's future.

The rigid supervision paid off spectacularly.

Once Rana transitioned fully to the leather Duke and structured academy training, his rise was vertical.

His ability to generate steep bounce and searing pace has provided the Bangladesh team with a lethal weapon—a genuine enforcer across all formats.

Shanto’s strategic intervention highlights a crucial reality in Bangladesh cricket: managing raw talent is just as important as discovering it.

Thanks to a captain who refused to let a prodigy slip through the cracks, Rana has successfully left the tape-tennis fields behind to terrorise the world's best batters on the international stage.