He scalped two wickets against Afghanistan recently.
Out of all the skills executed by a fast bowler in the shortest format, variations have their own speciality. The ability of a speedster to produce a delivery that does something different, but with the same action. Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed seems to have unlocked a new variation, which is on display in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.
Taskin, who is one of Bangladesh’s best in the white-ball formats went through two phases in his career. He burst onto the scene with a debut in 2014, when he was highly regarded for his pace. But he lacked control. More often than not, Taskin would sway down the leg side, leaking runs. Though he had the ingredients to become a good pacer, they weren’t channelized into the right moulds.
The pandemic in 2020 sent shockwaves in the life of Taskin Ahmed. He was out of the side for three years, and only made a comeback in 2021. He suffered a panic attack which was due to the uncertainty of his future, with respect to cricketing prospects. Taskin often ran on sand, in order to improve his fitness. Post his comeback, he worked closely with Bangladesh’s fast bowling coach, Ottis Gibson and later with Allan Donald.
In the Asia Cup 2025 so far, Taskin has managed to scalp four wickets in two matches. He missed the game against Sri Lanka citing reasons for workload management. However, in the recent match against Afghanistan, the 30-year-old displayed a wonderful variation, which he has recently added to his arsenal. He picked the wicket of all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who was striking at a healthy 200. As a result, the Tigers beat Afghanistan by eight runs to stay in contention for a Super Four spot.
With the introduction of the shortest format, cricket has become a batter’s game. The evolution of the blades, the changed boundaries, and the fearless attitude that teams possess these days, make it really difficult to be a bowler. However, one thing which keeps the art of fast bowler alive in the shortest format would be the variations that a speedster can implement to his game.
And that is exactly what Taskin Ahmed has done smartly. He has developed a slower delivery which looks exactly like a seam-up at release. He as tonked for a boundary by Ibrahim Zadran in the match against Afghanistan. But later in the innings, the pacer produced a delivery with the same release to Omarzai, who ended up skying the ball for a catch. That was one of the most important wickets for the Afghans to get.
After Nasum’s heroics in the first over of the second innings, Taskin Ahmed took charge from the other end. He was a tad-bit short in his lengths in the first over, but gave away just three runs. Moreover, Rishad Hossain dropped a catch off the last ball of the over, to give Zadran a lifeline. In Taskin’s over, Zadran tonked a short delivery for a boundary on the off-side. It was a orthodox seam-up delivery.
But the 16th over is when Taskin created magic! Afghanistan were 102/5 and needed 53 runs off the last 30 balls. Omarzai was clearly the wicket that was required. Taskin bowled a short ball which was pulled away for a six by the all-rounder. However, on the fourth ball, he bowled a shortish delivery which looked like a seam-up. But it was a slower ball. Taskin managed to bowl the slower delivery without a slight change in his action. As a result, Omarzai had to walk back and Bangladesh stayed alive in the competition.
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Taskin Ahmed has never featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL). But with the way he is improving his game and adding new dimensions to it, an IPL deal might be round the corner. With the IPL 2026 auction nearing, scouting teams would be keeping a close eye on the potential players who could be good fits. And if Taskin continues to showcase consistency with his skills, he might be in the radar.
The question is, which franchise would go after the Bangladesh pace ace? Teams definitely want pacers who exhibit a lot of variations, but a lot will depend on the foreigner tag which Taskin will bring. The pace and bounce which he can generate will be helpful on many of the Indian pitches, and franchises can look to lock in on that aspect. To add to that, Taskin Ahmed is not a player for whom teams will break their bank. And hence, franchises might be able to secure a deal at base price.
In 80 matches so far, Taskin has scalped 98 wickets in the shortest format internationally. Additionally, his economy of 7.60 holds him in good stead. He holds three four-wicket hauls to his name in T20Is. Hence, if the 30-year-old can keep delivering consistent results with variations in his bowling, he could improve his chances of landing an IPL contract. He was always effective with the new ball. But this variety in his armoury will give Taskin an edge to finish things strong.
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