Auqib Nabi of J&K (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist Lav) Hubballi: Auqib Nabi – a name that has been buzzing around the Indian domestic circuit for the past few seasons – is one that the Karnataka camp will want to forget quickly.The 29-year-old seamer from Baramulla tore through a formidable Karnataka batting line-up on Thursday to take Jammu and Kashmir to the brink of a first-ever Ranji Trophy title. However, Nabi played down his heroics and insisted his approach was based on keeping things simple, although his bowling proved anything but.
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With crisp swing, late movement and the ability to consistently hit the seam with a strong wrist position, Nabi kept Karnataka’s lead bowlers under relentless pressure on Day 3 of the final.Entering the title race with 55 wickets this season – including 21 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – Nabi is two wickets away from surpassing Uttarakhand spinner Mayank Mishra (59 wickets) to become the competition’s leading wicket-taker.Outlining his approach, Nabi said that J&K’s attack worked according to a collective plan.“In our team, we all follow the same plan, we stick to a specific line and length. Even if the batsmen try to go after us, we continue to bowl in the same channel,” he explained.Much of the build-up to the final focused on Nabi’s much-anticipated clash with KL Rahul and the seamer acknowledged the attention surrounding the duel.“I was confident because I was taking wickets. I went into it with a positive frame of mind and just wanted to keep it simple. I got a lot of messages before the match about getting Rahul out but I just wanted to play a good channel and not focus on batting,” he said.Nabi emphasized the importance of wrist position in generating movement, a technical aspect that became central to his success.“Wrist position is very important. If you have a straight wrist, everything else becomes easier. The ball moves with the wrist, so a straight wrist is very important for a fast bowler,” he said.With the visitors now within touching distance of their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph, expectations are rising. Prominent personalities from J&K are expected to reach Hubballi on Friday on the eve of the historic moment.For Nabi, the chance to lift the trophy represents the fulfillment of a long-term ambition.“When I first represented J&K, it was my dream to win a trophy, especially in red-ball cricket. Growing up, I always knew that we didn’t win any trophy, so it means a lot,” he said.
