The Bangladesh national cricket team has suffered a major setback ahead of their much-awaited Test tour of Australia. Fast bowler Nahid Rana has been ruled out of the entire two-match Test series after suffering a serious injury on Saturday, July 25.
The first Test between Australia and Bangladesh will be played in Darwin from August 13 and then the teams will go to Mackay for the second Test from August 22 to 26. This Test series is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27. Meanwhile, the schedule of Afghanistan T20 series on India’s tour of Bangladesh is yet to be decided as BCCI awaits government approval.
Nahid Rana out of Australia test series
Nahid Rana has been ruled out of the Test series in Australia due to side strain. Rana’s injury was a major blow to the Bangladesh national cricket team, as Shoriful Islam is also uncertain for the challenging Test series with Australia, which has already been named a strong squad for the home games.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed that Naheed Rana has suffered a Grade 2 left side strain. The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the second T20 match against Zimbabwe on July 17 and subsequent medical scans revealed that he will take around six to eight weeks to recover.
Nahid Rana needs 6-8 weeks to fully recover from side strain
Rana suffered the injury during Bangladesh’s T20 series against Zimbabwe earlier this month. Later, scans confirmed a Grade 2 side strain which ruled him out of the upcoming Australia Test series. He is expected to take about four weeks for the injury to heal, followed by a gradual return to bowling for two to four weeks.
“Fast bowler Nahid Rana has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Australia with a left hamstring strain. He is expected to require approximately four weeks for tissue healing, followed by a further two to four weeks of bowling workload,” the BCB said in a medical update.
Shoriful Islam likely to miss first test against Australia
Bangladesh fast bowler Shoriful Islam is recovering from a Grade 1 left hamstring injury which he sustained during the Zimbabwe tour. The left-arm fast bowler is expected to start bowling again from July 29. After this, his fitness test will be held around August 12.
However, Shorifull is likely to miss the first Test against Australia starting on August 13 in Darwin. But there is still a chance for Shoriful to return for the second Test in Mackay, but he will need to properly complete his bowling workload and receive medical clearance before being considered. Earlier, Shahrukh Khan’s Knight Riders had included Pakistani Usman Tariq for CPL 2026.
Liton Das looking for time for Australia Test after calf injury
Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das is also looking for time to regain match fitness for the Australia series. Liton is recovering from a left calf muscle injury and recently traveled to Singapore for specialist medical consultation.
As part of his recovery, he underwent PRP treatment on Friday. The batsman is expected to begin a gradual running and fitness program from July 28. His next fitness assessment is planned around August 13. This means Liton is unlikely to be ready for the opening Test in Darwin. However, if his rehabilitation goes well, he could be available for the second Test in Mackay.
