Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi has been included in the Indian team as a replacement for Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming two-Test series between India and Sri Lanka starting August 15. Bumrah was ruled out of the series due to a knee injury he had been carrying since the 2026 T20 World Cup.
After two great Ranji Trophy seasons in which he took 104 wickets in the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 seasons, Auqib Nabi has finally received his reward after being ignored for a few earlier games, including the Afghanistan Test and the Sri Lanka Tests. In the second crucial match, he took the most wickets of the season with 60 in 17 innings at 12.65, helping Jammu & Kashmir win a historic first Ranji Trophy.
Here are the 3 reasons why Auqib Nabi should make his debut in the SL vs. IND Test series:
3. Auqib Nabi is a skilled pacer
Auqib Nabi has grown up bowling on Indian pitches that are not conducive to fast bowling. However, he has managed to be at the top of the pace bowling charts for two red-ball seasons straight. 104 wickets in the last two Ranji Trophy tournaments are a testament that he can bowl on any kind of surface and might succeed on Sri Lankan pitches as well.
2. Consistency in First-Class cricket
Since making his debut in 2020, Auqib has had an amazing record in first-class cricket. He has taken 151 wickets at an average of 18.62 across 66 innings in 40 games. This includes four 10-wicket hauls, including a 12-wicket haul in a single match, and fifteen five-wicket hauls.
He has hit two half-centuries and amassed 967 runs at an average of 19.34 in 55 innings. He should therefore be given an opportunity to play for the Indian Test team because of his consistency.
1. Auqib Nabi possesses good batting prowess
India will be missing Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy on the tour, as both the pace-bowling all-rounders are out of action due to hamstring injuries. Nabi has a good record with the bat as well, with 999 runs at an average of 18.84 and two fifties while batting at no. 8 in First Class cricket. With India expected to play 3 or even more spinners on Sri Lanka’s tracks, Nabi’s batting might come in handy in the lower order.
