The journey of Auqib Nabi and Jammu and Kashmir became synonymous with each other. Nabi didn’t have the right equipment or space to even do a full run-up when she walked through the ranks at Baramulla. Yet the composure he showed during the Ranji Trophy final was the one that guided the entire J&K side to their maiden Ranji Trophy title.
Nabi played with the ball breaking the back of a star-studded Karnataka batting line-uphe picked up the wickets of KL Rahul and Karun Nair, en route to a five-wicket haul and helped his side to a lead of 291 runs. That proved to be the difference as centuries from Qamran Iqbal and Sahil Lotra shut the door firmly on Karnataka’s hopes of a ninth title on Day 5.
Karnataka vs Jammu & Kashmir, Ranji Trophy Final: Highlights
For Nabi, it fulfilled the dream he set out to fulfill when he donned the J&K jersey for the first time.
“It was unbelievable. We won the trophy for the first time. When I started playing for the team, I dreamed of winning this tournament. We tried for a long time, we struggled a lot. Finally, we won the tournament,” said Nabi.
BIG NABI GAME
Apart from being the poster boy of J&K cricket, pacer is also their big player. He picked up 12 wickets in the quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh. The mighty Bengal side also struggled to match the 29-year-old’s bowling prowess as he picked up nine wickets to take J&K to the final.
And he capped it off with another five-wicket haul, taking his season tally to 60, making him the third bowler to do so in Ranji Trophy history. Nabi says he keeps things simple: just try to do the best for his side and don’t look at the opposition.
“My plan is simple in every game. I try to give my best. Whenever the team calls for it, I put in the hard yards. Every game is a must-win game. I give 100% in any way I can.”
“I stick to my approach, I don’t look at who is batting. I want to mix it up in good areas and get the batsmen out, we win the match by taking wickets,” said Nabi.
FROM THE DOCTOR TO THE MAGIC OF PEACE
Growing up, Nabi’s father, an English teacher, was not happy that his son had decided to become a cricketer instead of a doctor. Nabi now says that he is his biggest fan and received a lot of support from him during the Ranji Trophy season.
“They all supported me well and are very happy. I want to thank them and everyone who prayed and wished me from Jammu and Kashmir,” said Nabi.
The next time you see Nabi, it will be in the IPL in Delhi Capitals colours. Before signing off from the post-match presentation, the pacer had one message for young cricket aspirants back home.
“If you have a limited background, work hard and don’t think about anything, just work hard and inspire everyone.”
– The end
Published on:
28 Feb 2026 15:33 IST
