Auqib Nabi Gets Maiden Call For Test Series Against Sri Lanka, Replaces Injured Bumrah

Jammu: Auqib Nabi, the speedster from the Baramulla area of Jammu and Kashmir, received the maiden call for a two-match Test series beginning on August 15 against Sri Lanka after being named the replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, who was ruled out of the series due to a knee injury.

"The Men's Selection Committee has named Auqib Nabi as Bumrah's replacement. The Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler earns his maiden call-up to the senior national team," the BCCI said in a statement.

The 29-year-old Nabi is the third player from J&K after Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik to get a senior national team call-up. Rasool and Malik played for India in the limited-overs format.

With 60 wickets in the last Ranji Trophy season, Nabi had been knocking on the door of the selection committee for the last two years. Nabi had claimed 104 wickets across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons. He is also a handy customer with the bat.

His wicket haul in the elite domestic tournament had earned Jammu and Kashmir its maiden Ranji title. This was seen as the biggest ever achievement for the team, which was seen as minnows of the game till a few years ago.

Following his spectacular performance in the Ranji Trophy, Nabi was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.40 crore during Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions.

He played alongside Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc and others. Even though his performance wasn't that good, he impressed his fellow teammates with brilliant control on the ball and consistency.

During his recent Sri Lanka tour with the India A team, Nabi had impressed the selectors with his performance. He has become the first-ever cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to get a Test match call. Nabi is considered the best red-ball bowler at present in the country alongside Bumrah and Siraj.

Bumrah has been ruled out after the swelling in his knee turned out to be more serious than it initially looked. The Sports Science team in Bengaluru's Centre of Excellence was in no mood to rush the seasoned pacer to the grind of international cricket, keeping in mind a packed calendar ahead.

The 32-year-old had missed out on the third ODI against England at Lord's last month after sustaining an impact injury.

The updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka: Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sai Sudharsan (subject to fitness clearance), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi.

Also Read

1. CWG 2026: India Ends Campaign With 39 Medals; Neeraj Chopra, PT Usha Handed Over Baton For CWG 2030
2. ‘No Shortcuts To Success’, Says Yashvir Singh After Bagging Javelin Bronze At CWG 2026