Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons revealed Nahid Rana's pace was coming back to speed after seeing 22-year-old pace sensation back at it in training at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Monday. 

Rana, Bangladesh's fastest bowler, trained alongside several members of Bangladesh's Champions Trophy squad in Mirpur for the first time since his side, the Rangpur Riders, crashed out of the Bangladesh Premier League Eliminator last Monday. 

"He has looked slower than normal in the last couple of games. The run-up was less than normal approaching the wicket," Simmons told reporters after a training session in Mirpur on Monday. 

"They [Rangpur Riders] got knocked out early so he had a bit of rest. He looked sharp in training yesterday. The pace was coming back. The run-up was as quick as it was in the Caribbean [in December 2024]." 

The right-arm quick played 12 out of the 13 matches Rangpur played in the BPL, taking 10 wickets at an economy rate of 8.13. Many cautioned about the workload Rana had to endure by playing all these games before Bangladesh's Champions Trophy campaign, fearing that the pacer would lose steam come tournament time. Playing a steady run of games did have an impact on Rana, who struggled to maintain his express pace and his performance as the tournament progressed. He took just one wicket in his last six matches, remaining wicketless in his last four outings.

Bangladesh begin their campaign against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 20, before  taking on New Zealand and hosts Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on February 24 and 27, respectively.