It's been years since Naim Sheikh caused a stir among Bangladesh cricket fans.  He had chances to play in all three forms, but he failed to deliver, and he lost his spot on the national team in the end.  But in cricket, you get a second chance, and Naim is making the most of his chance in local cricket.  His recent play has been nothing short of amazing, which puts him back in the running for a Bangladesh call-up.

In the last three domestic events, the left-handed opener has been at his best.  His bold hitting and high strike rate have made him a match-winner, which wasn't the case when he played for the national team before. Played for Dhaka Metro in the NCL T20 league and scored 316 runs, which was the most in the league. Played for Khulna Tigers in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and scored 511 runs, including a hundred and three fifties, at a strike rate of almost 144. He was the league's top scorer.

In the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) One-Day Format, they are currently on top of the points table, having scored 459 runs in just 7 games, where the strike rate is 121.  Nurul Hasan Sohan, who is his closest rival, has 386 runs.

Based on these stats, Naim is not the same batter who had trouble with strike rate in international cricket. 

In the Dhaka Premier League, Naim has set a high goal for himself: to hit 100 fours and 50 sixes during the season.  He has hit 45 fours and 22 sixes so far. In his final games, he needs to hit 55 more fours and 28 sixes to complete the goal.

Speaking about his new approach, Naim said, "I’ve already scored 500, 600, 800, even 950 runs in the DPL before. Now I want to push my limits and see if I can achieve this boundary record. Previously, I focused on singles more, but now I’m prioritizing big hits and power-hitting."

Naim has done very well in domestic cricket, but not so well at the world level.  Bangladesh are often in trouble because he plays too many "dot balls" and has a slow strike rate in ODIs and T20s.  This caused him to be dropped after the 2023 Asia Cup, and he hasn't played with his country again since.

Bangladesh's white-ball starting department is in bad shape right now, though, which could make room for his return.  Players like Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das, and Anamul Haque Bijoy have had a hard time securing their spots.  Naim could be added to the team because Bangladesh are going to Pakistan in May for a three-match ODI and T20I series.