'Rana has become our trump card'
It may be too early to declare him the breakout performer of the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League, but Chattogram Challengers pacer Mehedi Hasan Rana has hardly put a foot wrong thus far in the country's premier T20 tournament.
The left-arm pacer sits atop the wicket-takers' charts with 12 wickets from just four games, and he came up with his best performance in Chattogram's 16-run win over Cumilla Victorians on Friday, taking four wickets for 28 runs in a run fest.
Chattogram's stand-in skipper Imrul Kayes, filling in for the injured Mahmudullah Riyad, said after the match that the 22-year-old pacer had become their trump card as the team enjoy a flying start to the season that see them at the top of the points table.
"Riyad bhai and myself had taken the matter of Rana as a challenge. Before the team was formed, we [Mahmudlah and Imrul] had discussed about him and took him in the team when at first not many knew him," Imrul said after the match. "You can say that he is a trump card... he has become a trump card for us. He is doing his job very well. I think it has been very good for his career, because if bowlers like him don't play the BPL – you will have noticed that there are many bowlers who have not gotten a team – then no one comes to know of them. He is doing very well, and I believe he will do well in the future too."
On Friday, in a match where Cumilla made a good fist of chasing Chattogram's 238 for four -- the highest total of the season -- Rana was the standout bowler as the result could well have been different if he did not keep things tight. Apart from Rana and Rubel Hossain, who took one for 30 from four overs, no other bowler conceded less than 13.33 runs an over.
More importantly, Rana showed the ability to take wickets while opening the bowling and also while bowling at the death. That proved crucial as after getting rid of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman in the first six overs, Rana returned to get rid of danger man Dawid Malan, whose 38-ball 84 threatened to spoil Chattogram's party.
"We don't have a spinner who can conjure wickets, so since Rana is bowling well, I am rotating him [throughout the innings]. Whenever there is a good partnership I can call on Rana. It becomes easy for a captain when you have a bowler like that," Imrul said.
As important as his wickets has been his economy rate. A figure of 6.68 runs per over, the third lowest of the season among bowlers who have bowled at least 10 overs, is exceptional for someone who has to bowl in the Powerplay overs and at the death. Imrul reserved specal praise for Rana's self-confidence and control .
"I had played in the [Dhaka] Premier League with him before, but I can see the difference between that Rana and this one," Imrul said. "He did not have the confidence that he does now. His self-belief is much greater now. If I ask him 'what will you bowl?' he tells me 'I will bowl this delivery' and he does exactly that. That has been the big difference."