Nahid Rana for Bangladesh - (Source: AFP)
Bangladesh seamer Nahid Rana is in the form of his life. The right-arm seamer has emerged as Bangladesh’s best bowler and is breathing fire with his scintillating pace. The 23-year-old is constantly clocking 150 kmph+ and has finally grabbed the eyeballs he deserved.
The right-arm seamer recently wreaked havoc against Pakistan and Australia. Recently, the ICC rewarded him for his consistency as the 23-year-old climbed 23 spots to become the 24th-ranked bowler in ODI rankings.
Nahid Rana Stuns Pakistan, Australia
Rana rose to fame after he took a five-wicket haul against Pakistan in the 1st ODI in March. Eventually, he took 8 wickets in 3 innings in that series. Nahid Rana extended his form in the Tests and picked up 11 wickets in 4 innings.
Cut to the Australia series, the right-arm seamer took four wickets in the 1st ODI, resulting in an embarrassing defeat for the Kangaroos. Now, all of a sudden, there is a lot of interest in Rana across franchise cricket.
Recently, Alex Carey, impressed by Rana, offered him a BBL contract for the Adelaide Strikers. Similarly, several other leagues would be keeping a close eye on the young talent. Hence, this article will shed light on three teams that can rope in Nahid Rana for IPL 2026, given that the current geopolitical tensions die down before the upcoming auction.
IPL Teams that can target Nahid Rana
1. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad might be short of a bowler in IPL 2027. SRH skipper Pat Cummins has already hinted that he might skip the next edition to manage his workload and focus on the ODI World Cup 2027. Therefore, SRH need to rope in a right-arm quick to their bowling attack.
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SRH’s bowling attack was pretty weak in IPL 2026, and they will offload a few players next season. The likes of Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat will be released, which opens up a space for players like Nahid Rana.
Nahid Rana can perform a Jofra Archer-like role for Sunrisers Hyderabad and can be their perfect new-ball bowler.
2. Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians is also facing a similar issue to the Sunrisers Hyderabad. MI had a poor IPL season, and its bowlers were to blame. Jasprit Bumrah had a pathetic season, and so did the rest. The likes of Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar looked ineffective, and the five-time winners need a quality bowler to boost their squad.
Talking about the five-time winners, the formidable trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar picked up just 14 wickets combined, which is 50% of Kagiso Rabada's dismissals in IPL 2026. Hence, MI need to reevaluate their seam attack and Nahid Rana can be a great addition.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders had gone for a Bangladesh star in IPL 2026 when they bought Mustafizur Rahman. However, the geo-political tensions between the two countries hit rock-bottom. It led to BCCI’s intervention, and KKR were forced to release the Bangladesh-based pacer.
Now, there is a possibility that BCCI might allow KKR to name a replacement of their will, in which case, Nahid Rana can be a great option for the Knight Riders. Irrespective of that, KKR have a poor bowling unit and Rana’s inclusion will increase their squad strength massive.
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