From Baramulla to India blue: the rise of Auqib Nabi
60 Ranji wickets, a title for J&K, four wickets in four balls and a ₹8.40 crore IPL deal. How Auqib Nabi earned his India debut in Guwahati.
Auqib Nabi walked out for his first game in India colours in Guwahati today, handed an ODI debut against West Indies in place of Nitish Kumar Reddy. For the 29-year-old pace bowler from Jammu and Kashmir, it is the reward for two of the most remarkable domestic seasons any Indian fast bowler has had in recent years.
Who is Auqib Nabi?
- Full name: Auqib Nabi Dar
- Born: 4 November 1996, Sheeri, Baramulla (Jammu and Kashmir)
- Role: right-arm medium-fast bowler who can bat in the lower order
- Domestic team: Jammu and Kashmir
- IPL: Delhi Capitals
Nabi is not an express quick. He bowls at around 130 to 135 km/h and relies on seam movement, swing in both directions from a similar release, and relentless stump-to-stump accuracy. It is a style that has made him lethal in Indian conditions, where batters are forced to play at almost every ball.
Two record-breaking Ranji Trophy seasons
Nabi's rise has been built on sheer weight of wickets.
- 2024-25 Ranji Trophy: 44 wickets at 13.93, the second-most in the season
- 2025-26 Ranji Trophy: 60 wickets at 12.65, with seven five-wicket hauls
- 104 wickets across the two seasons, joining a very short list of bowlers to take 100 or more in back-to-back Ranji campaigns
- Best first-class figures: 7 for 24 against Rajasthan in October 2025
The 2025-26 season was historic for more than his own numbers. Nabi was the leading wicket-taker and Player of the Tournament as Jammu and Kashmir won the Ranji Trophy for the first time.
Four wickets in four balls
Nabi first grabbed national headlines in the 2025 Duleep Trophy, when he took four wickets in four balls against East Zone on his way to figures of 5 for 28. It is one of the rarest feats in first-class cricket, and it put him firmly on the selectors' radar.
IPL payday and India A
The wickets brought rewards quickly.
- IPL: Delhi Capitals signed him for ₹8.40 crore at the auction in December 2025.
- India A: he toured Sri Lanka and took 6 wickets in the unofficial Tests, including 4 for 58.
- First India call-up: in August 2026, he was added to India's Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour as a replacement for the injured Jasprit Bumrah. He did not get a game in that series.
Debut day in Guwahati
Nabi's wait ended today. With India choosing to bowl first after winning the toss, he replaced Nitish Kumar Reddy in the XI, giving India an extra seam option who can also contribute with the bat.
He joins Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik as cricketers from Jammu and Kashmir to play for India's senior men's team.
"What is meant for you will find you"
When Nabi earned his first India call-up in August, Parvez Rasool, the first cricketer from J&K to play for India, summed up his journey: "What is meant for you will find you. No amount of rejection or ignorance can change your destiny."
What's next for Auqib Nabi?
A strong showing in this series could put Nabi in the frame for more ODIs and for India's Test attack, especially in home conditions where his accuracy and seam movement are most dangerous. For now, the boy from Baramulla has his India cap, and J&K cricket has a new hero.
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