Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi, who received his maiden Indian call-up for the two-match Test tour of Sri Lanka, has revealed where he was when he first heard the news.
Speaking exclusively to bcci.tv, Nabi has stated that he was at the airport about to board a flight to Bengaluru for a camp at the Centre of Excellence (CoE). However, he received a call about him replacing Jasprit Bumrah for the two-Test tour.
“I was at the airport. We had to go for a camp at CoE. I was about to board a flight to Bangalore. So, I got a call asking where I was. I told him that I was going to Bangalore; I was at the airport. He told me that I don’t have to go there; I have to come to Sri Lanka. You have been selected. At first, I couldn’t believe it. It was unexpected, since the squad had already been announced. I was like, I will work hard in the camp at CoE,” Auqib Nabi told bcci.tv.
For the unversed, Nabi scalped 60 wickets in the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy season to emerge as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, leading his J&K team to a historic maiden title. Across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, he racked up a total of 104 Ranji wickets.
“Yes, I had expectations. But as a cricketer, you have to have the mindset that your job is to perform. I did think that I would get a call-up sooner or later. If you have been doing well for years, you have to get the fruits of your hard work. I used to bow with the same mindset; my job is to take wickets and perform, and leave the rest to the Almighty. Now that my name has come up, I am very happy, and my family is also happy. There can’t be a bigger moment for me than this,” he added.
