Nahid Rana registers Bangladesh's best ODI figures with 6 for 21 to bowl Zimbabwe out for 141

Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana claimed 6 for 21 on Monday to register the best bowling figures ever recorded by a Bangladesh bowler in ODI cricket, helping the visitors bowl Zimbabwe out for 141 in the opening match of a three-match series at the Harare Sports Club. The right-arm quick came on after Taskin Ahmed had done the early damage and then systematically dismantled Zimbabwe's middle and lower order in conditions that offered consistent movement and bounce.

Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz won the toss and elected to bowl, spotting moisture on the pitch and overcast conditions above. The decision proved correct from the very first delivery, with Taskin drawing extra bounce off a good length to beat Brian Bennett outside off stump. The openers showed some resolve, with Bennett and Ben Curran adding 35 in 40 balls, but that proved to be the final sign of resistance from the hosts.

The collapse began with a sharp direct hit from Mehidy to run out Curran, despite the delivery being called a no-ball. The veteran quick then had Bennett caught two balls later, before returning in the ninth over to bowl Craig Ervine with a first-ball duck, a delivery that cut away to clip the top of middle stump. From 35 for 2, Zimbabwe tumbled to 70 for 8 in the 20th over, losing those six wickets for just 35 runs.

Rana entered the attack in the 14th over and proved a completely different challenge from anything Zimbabwe had faced before. Generating extra pace and sharp lift off the pitch, the 22-year-old made the ball difficult to handle even as the surface began to ease. In one devastating spell, the Bangladesh quick had Sikandar Raza caught behind, Wessly Madhevere fend to second slip, Clive Madande slice to point, Innocent Kaia also caught by the wicketkeeper, and Brad Evans lbw. Evans was the fifth victim, completing Rana's third ODI five-wicket haul of 2026.

With the home side in genuine danger of being dismissed for under 100, Richard Ngarava walked out at No. 10 in his first game as Zimbabwe's ODI captain. Joining Newman Nyamhuri at the crease, the left-arm pacer batted with unexpected assurance, the pair adding 63 for the ninth wicket to give the total some respectability. Rana eventually removed the captain with a yorker for 27, claiming his sixth and record-breaking wicket. The No. 9, who had held things together from the other end, departed for 33 as the last wicket to fall, taking Zimbabwe's innings to 141.

The 6 for 21 is the best bowling performance by a Bangladesh bowler in ODI cricket, and Rana's third five-wicket haul in the format in 2026. Taskin contributed 2 for 32 from the other end, the pair sharing eight of the ten wickets. Zimbabwe were dismissed in 36.4 overs, well short of their 50 allocated, leaving Bangladesh needing 142 to win.

Bangladesh are looking to respond after losing the one-off Test to Zimbabwe by an innings and 85 runs at the same venue earlier in the tour. Mehidy's side need 142 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. The 2nd ODI between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, at the Harare Sports Club.