[CRK] Ish Sodhi on Nahid Rana’s Pace: ‘I Haven’t Seen This Before’

[CRK]

Ish Sodhi on Nahid Rana’s Pace: ‘I Haven’t Seen This Before’

For Bangladeshi fans, seeing a local fast bowler consistently hit speeds of 150 km/h is still something special. So it’s no surprise that it catches the attention of players from other countries too. Tom Latham was already surprised to learn that Nahid Rana is just 23 years old. Now, another Kiwi star Ish Sodhi has shared his admiration for the young pacer.

Sodhi said he hasn’t really seen anyone bowl with such consistent pace over long spells like Nahid does. What impressed him even more is the fact that this is happening in subcontinent conditions. Traditionally, pitches in places like Mirpur or Chattogram don’t favor extreme pace, and even many world-class fast bowlers haven’t been able to generate that kind of speed regularly there. That’s why Nahid’s performances are creating so much excitement.

Praising Bangladesh’s Pace Attack

Praising Bangladesh’s pace attack, Sodhi said, “The Bangladeshi pacers have been very impressive. The way they are bowling, they can challenge any team in the world. I hadn’t seen Nahid Rana bowl before, but I’ve heard that every ball he bowls is high pace, and he does it throughout his spell.”

He added, “I haven’t really seen this kind of bowling consistently in international cricket, especially in Asian conditions. It’s going to be very challenging for us. We’ll be hoping for good performances from our batters and also aiming to win. This Bangladesh team feels quite different. There are some fast bowlers we haven’t faced before, so it’s a good test for us.”

A New Challenge for New Zealand

However, Nahid will not be part of the upcoming T20 series. Neither will Mustafizur Rahman, who was the hero in the final ODI. That might bring a bit of relief for the New Zealand side. Sodhi admitted, “The way Mustafizur and Nahid bowled in the last series, they are a different kind of challenge. But this is a new team, a new challenge. We’ve faced Mustafizur before, so you can plan against him. But now it’s a completely new attack.”

Looking back, he also spoke about how much Bangladesh cricket has changed over the years. “When I first came to Bangladesh in 2013, it was a very different team. Now there are many new players, and Bangladesh has become stronger. None of the players from that time are really around now. So it’s going to be a good challenge.”

He concluded by saying, “Some players in this team might not have much international experience yet, but that’s the beauty of sport – things keep changing. Bangladesh is always a tough team in these conditions. We’re really looking forward to the challenge. We’ve played a lot of cricket in Asia, so hopefully our younger players can adapt as well.”