Auqib Nabi earns maiden India Test call-up for Sri Lanka tour

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'No excuses if you want to play for India': The philosophy that shaped Auqib Nabi cricket news image
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Auqib Nabi has earned his maiden India call-up after replacing the injured Jasprit Bumrah in the Test squad for India’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. The 29-year-old Jammu and Kashmir seamer enters the squad after taking 104 wickets across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons.

Nabi was also part of the India A squad that recently toured Sri Lanka, where the fast bowler claimed six wickets in two first-class matches. His selection follows a domestic rise built around control, movement in both directions and sustained work on his bowling action.

Domestic performances push Nabi into the Test squad

Nabi’s 104 Ranji Trophy wickets across two seasons formed the central case for his selection, while his India A appearances provided recent experience in Sri Lankan conditions. The original report on Nabi’s India call-up also details the limited facilities and long travel that shaped his early development.

Nabi began playing tennis-ball cricket in Kashmir before moving into leather-ball competition. The seamer borrowed bowling spikes for his first Jammu and Kashmir Under-19 trial and played his first Under-19 tournament in another borrowed pair after earning selection.

Training presented another obstacle. Nabi said Baramulla had a turf surface, but bowlers could not use spikes there, forcing him to travel about one and a half hours to Srinagar for practice on a suitable wicket.

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"If you want to play for India, these things cannot become excuses. If you want it badly enough, you have to do it," Nabi said while describing the approach that sustained his early career.

Inswing development expands Nabi’s bowling options

Nabi developed from a primarily outswing bowler into a seamer capable of moving the ball both ways after working with Jammu and Kashmir bowling coach P. Krishnakumar.

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Krishnakumar first worked with Nabi during the Buchi Babu Trophy in Salem in 2023. The coach identified Nabi’s wrist position as a strength and began helping the bowler develop an inswinger while also addressing biomechanical issues in his action.

Krishnakumar said the work extended beyond swing. Nabi learned to manage the ball through different sessions, assess batters’ weaknesses and improve his preparation. The seamer later added a scrambled-seam delivery to broaden his options.

Nabi credited a change in mindset for his improved consistency. The fast bowler said he previously concentrated mainly on taking wickets but now focuses on landing the ball in demanding areas, regardless of whether it swings into or away from the batter.

"Whether it’s the new ball or the old ball, your basics have to stay strong. You have to keep bowling in good areas," Nabi said.

IPL experience brings a difficult first season

Delhi Capitals signed Nabi for Rs 8.40 crore, but the seamer finished his first IPL season without a wicket in five matches, according to the source report.

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The wicketless IPL spell contrasted with Nabi’s strong red-ball returns for Jammu and Kashmir. His subsequent India selection reflects the weight of his Ranji Trophy record and his recent India A involvement rather than his short first IPL campaign.

Baramulla academy remains part of Nabi’s plan

Nabi plans to use his earnings to establish a cricket academy in Baramulla, where he believes young players need better access to training facilities.

The seamer said he had travelled to Bengaluru for training and played lower-division matches there during his own development. Nabi wants the proposed academy to identify and train more cricketers from Baramulla.

"I’d like to open an academy. There’s absolutely nothing here. When I started playing, I had to go to Bengaluru for training and play lower-division matches there. I want to find and train more Auqib Nabis from Baramulla," Nabi said.

Nabi’s immediate focus now shifts to the Sri Lanka Test tour. His place in the squad follows two productive Ranji Trophy seasons, an India A tour and a long technical process that turned inswing into a major part of his red-ball method.