What more must Auqib Nabi do to earn a call from Team India
Srinagar, Oct 29: Each spell he bowls tightens his case, each innings strengthens his claim, yet the call from the national selectors remains elusive. After dismantling Rajasthan with a 10-wicket match haul and hammering a counter-attacking 55, Jammu and Kashmir’s pace all-rounder Auqib Nabi has left little doubt about his readiness. The question now isn’t if he deserves a chance, but what more must he do to make Indian cricket look his way.
The morning air in Srinagar carried a sharp chill as the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium came alive on Day 3. The stands were half-filled, the sun barely breaking through the mist, but for Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi, it was a morning of clarity. By the time Rajasthan’s final wicket fell, Auqib had completed his spell of destruction, 7 for 24, his arms outstretched, his face calm yet fierce.
In just under 90 minutes on day 3 of the second Ranji Trophy match, J&K sealed an innings-and-41-run victory. But more than the margin, it was the manner of victory, led entirely by Auqib’s raw pace, control, and composure, that left an impression. It wasn’t just another good day for J&K cricket, it was the continuation of a season that’s quickly defining Auqib Nabi as one of India’s most compelling domestic stories.
A season of rhythm and purpose
For those who have followed J&K cricket closely, this wasn’t a bolt from the blue. The signs were there in the Deodhar Trophy, where Auqib impressed for North Zone with his discipline and ability to move the ball both ways. The same sharp seam position, the same aggressive stride to the crease, it all translated seamlessly into red-ball cricket once the Ranji Trophy began.
Against Mumbai in the season opener, he was J&K’s heartbeat, taking seven wickets in the match and crucial runs down the order in a narrow 35-run defeat. Against Rajasthan, he elevated that performance into something extraordinary, a 10-wicket match haul and a counter-attacking 55 that broke Rajasthan’s spirit before he broke their batting.
In a domestic circuit brimming with raw talent, Auqib stands out for his balance, equal parts fire and focus. He doesn’t bowl angry overs, he bowls thinking overs. “He has found that sweet spot between pace and precision,” a team official said after the match. “He is not trying to blast batters out, he’s outsmarting them.”
The making of a complete cricketer
Hailing from Baramulla in North Kashmir, Auqib’s cricket journey mirrors the story of many from the valley, late starts, limited exposure, but an unshakeable drive. The early years were spent training on uneven pitches, chasing hard tennis balls in the cold, and dreaming of the big stage.
The J&K Cricket Association gave him the springboard he needed. Under coaches who encouraged his dual role as a bowler and batter, Auqib evolved into the modern all-rounder prototype, someone who can bowl long spells, swing the new ball, and chip in with fast, effective runs.
His knock of 55 against Rajasthan wasn’t just about numbers, it was timing, temperament, and technique.
“Fast bowlers must be picked raw”: Beigh’s word of caution
Former J&K skipper and seasoned pacer Samiullah Beigh has seen enough to know when a fast bowler is ready for the next level, and he believes Auqib Nabi’s time is now.
“Unlike batting, a fast bowler is to be picked up raw, fresh, and fit based on mere potential and promise,” Beigh said, reacting to Auqib’s recent performance.
“If we wait too long for a pacer to ripen in domestic cricket, we lose him. Look at Jasprit, Siraj, or even Harshit Rana, they played very limited domestic cricket before being picked for the national side.
I am afraid if the national selectors don’t fast-track Auqib Nabi, he may become yet another case from J&K that failed to tap at the right time, a talent lost to domestic cricket only.”
Beigh’s words echo a broader truth about Indian cricket’s pace factory, sometimes, waiting too long can dull the edge of raw brilliance.
His skill set makes him an ideal candidate for multiple formats. In the Ranji Trophy, he is the tireless workhorse who can swing matches with the ball and steady the innings with the bat. In white-ball cricket, his ability to strike late and deliver disciplined spells gives him the edge that IPL franchises crave.
As the Ranji season unfolds, one thing is certain, J&K have unearthed not just a bowler or an all-rounder, but a genuine match-winner. And if consistency is the truest test of talent, Auqib Nabi has already passed it with distinction.
