The pre-match hype around Bangladesh's speedster Nahid Rana proved to be for nought as the pacer did not get picked for their opening Group A match of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy against India in Dubai today, a decision that raised quite a few eyebrows.

Out of the four Bangladesh squad members who got benched against India, Parvez Hossain Emon wasn't a surprise as he has been brought in as a back-up opener and Mahmudullah's was a forced omission as the all-rounder, who has hit half-centuries in his last four ODI innings, is still recuperating from a calf muscle injury he sustained during Bangladesh's first training session in Dubai.

But Rana, Bangladesh's lone pacer who can hit 150kmph, not making the cut as the management chose to go with the three-pronged attack of – Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzim Hasan Sakib instead, surprised many.

In the pre-match press meet too, Indian journalists brought up Rana a few times to Shanto, who also showered praises on the youngster, which led to the common belief that the Tigers would pick him in the opener.

Former Bangladesh skipper and current ICC development manager Aminul Islam Bulbul, who arrived in Dubai from Muscot a day before the contest, was among the many who were perplexed by Rana's omission but was even more shocked that left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed had been left out.

As India were playing with six right-handed batters, Aminul insisted that the Tigers might have missed a trick by not bringing in Nasum in their playing XI, who has done well in similar conditions in the past.

Nasum has previously played two ODIs in the UAE, both at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium against Afghanistan, where he picked up three wickets at an economy rate of 2.81.

"Nahid's omission was really surprising. But I was more shocked not to see Nasum in the playing XI. As India have so many right-handers, the team management should have picked Nasum in the contest," Aminul told The Daily Star.