Auqib Nabi Called Into India Test Squad as Bumrah Replacement
His 104 wickets across two Ranji seasons earned the call-up, making him one of only a handful of Jammu and Kashmir players to reach the senior Test squad.
Overview
- India selectors named Nabi to the two-Test squad for Sri Lanka in early August as a replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, who is sidelined with a left-knee injury.
- Nabi is a 29-year-old right-arm seamer known for swing, upright seam position and tight line rather than raw pace, operating mostly in the 125–135 km/h band.
- His selection rests on strong red-ball form, including 44 wickets in 2024–25 and 60 in 2025–26, giving him 104 scalps across the last two domestic seasons and more than 160 first-class wickets overall.
- Coaches and former players praise his late lateral movement and control but say Sri Lanka’s typically flat or turning pitches and India’s team balance will determine whether he makes the playing XI.
- Figures in Jammu and Kashmir welcome the milestone as recognition of regional talent while cautioning that long-standing selection bias and structural gaps in coaching still need to be addressed.