Who is Auqib Nabi? Meet India pacer who replaced Jasprit Bumrah in Test squad

· Yahoo Sports

India's injury woes have opened the door for one of domestic cricket's most persistent performers, with Auqib Nabi named as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement in the Test squad for Sri Lanka.

The Jammu and Kashmir seamer earns a maiden senior call-up after years of prolific returns in red-ball cricket. Bumrah was ruled out of the two-Test series after failing to fully recover from the left-knee issue he sustained during the ODI series in England.

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With the BCCI medical team advising caution, the selectors turned to a bowler whose weight of wickets had made him impossible to ignore any longer.

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For the 29-year-old, the call represents the culmination of a long and often frustrating wait for recognition. Having dominated the Ranji Trophy for two seasons, Nabi now stands on the brink of a Test debut on turning tracks that could suit his disciplined seam bowling.

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Who is Auqib Nabi?

Nabi hails from a remote village in the Baramulla district of Kashmir, and his rise marks a significant moment for the region's cricket.

He becomes only the third player from Jammu and Kashmir to receive a senior India call-up, following in the footsteps of Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik.

A right-arm seamer built on accuracy and relentless lines rather than express pace, Nabi has been the standout red-ball bowler in the country over the past two years.

His domestic consistency earned him a lucrative Delhi Capitals contract worth 8.4 crore rupees at the IPL 2026 auction, though he failed to take a wicket in five matches for the franchise.

Auqib Nabi Ranji Trophy record

It is in the Ranji Trophy that Nabi has made his name emphatically. He has claimed 104 wickets across the last two seasons, a haul that dwarfs most of his contemporaries and reflects a bowler operating at a level well above the domestic norm.

In the 2024-25 campaign he took 44 wickets at a remarkable average of 13.93, with the next best seamer some way behind on 35.

He followed that with 60 wickets in the 2025-26 season to finish as the tournament's leading wicket-taker, a run that included a stunning 7 for 24 against Rajasthan.

Auqib Nabi career highlights

Nabi's crowning achievement came in guiding Jammu and Kashmir to their maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025-26 season.

His 60 wickets were the driving force behind a historic campaign that ended with victory over Karnataka in the final at Hubballi.

His prowess has not been confined to the four-day game. He announced himself in the season-opening Duleep Trophy for North Zone by taking four wickets in four balls, and impressed with the white ball too, claiming 15 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Nabi also featured for India A against Sri Lanka A, taking six wickets in two unofficial Tests to press his case further.

Having long spoken of the deflation of being overlooked despite his numbers, Nabi now has the recognition his performances demanded, with a Test cap potentially within reach in Galle.

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