Delhi Capitals fast bowler Auqib Nabi has credited former India paceman Irfan Pathan for his success in cricket. Speaking to JioStar ahead of Delhi’s home game against Mumbai Indians, Nabi said that when Pathan joined Jammu and Kashmir as a mentor in 2018, he helped him make his senior debut.
Talking about his cricketing journey, Nabi revealed that he did not have much support from his family as a child and that his father wanted him to become a doctor. Nabi said he was inspired to become a fast bowler by watching Dale Steyn on TV and dreamed of playing for India one day.
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“I used to watch Dale Steyn a lot when I was young. The way he swung the ball at such a high pace inspired me to become a fast bowler and hopefully play for India one day,” Nabi told JioHotstar.
“I was scolded a lot by my father for playing cricket all the time because I didn’t have his support. He wanted me to become a doctor,” said the 29-year-old.
AUQIB NABI CREDITS IRFAN PATHAN
The fast bowler’s career took a turn when Irfan joined the state team as a mentor. Nabi revealed that Pathan played a key role in helping him improve.
“When Irfan bhai came in as the mentor of Jammu and Kashmir, I was in the under-23 team and my performances there caught his attention. He helped me make my debut for the senior team of Jammu and Kashmir. He guided me a lot by giving me tips and being very helpful,” said Nabi.
The former India fast bowler, who is now working with the broadcaster as a commentator, said that it was his idea to develop a large group of pacers for J&K and Nabi was one of the main bowlers in this project.
“I saw Auqib Nabi for the first time in 2018. When I was mentoring the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team, we wanted to have a strong group of eight to 10 fast bowlers,” Pathan said.
“We wanted to build a big group and Auqib was one of the key fast bowlers. The most important thing was that he used to have long spells, especially in Under-23 and junior cricket. He was very impressive. Secondly, his ability to move the ball late was very impressive,” he added.
Pathan said Nabi’s ability to pull the movement off the seam and throw the ball to both sides makes him special.
“A lot of international bowlers have a straight seam, including Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Auqib Nabi may not be 140km/h, but the way he bowls, he accelerates after the pitch,” he explained.
“Bowling close to the stumps, he can bowl it consistently and also surprise the batsmen with what comes and that is Auqib Nabi’s main strength,” he added.
DC BUY NABI FOR RS 8.40 CR
Auqib Nabi was a huge success with Jammu and Kashmir’s Ranji Trophy team last season. He was an outstanding bowler in the tournament and constantly troubled teams with his swing and pace. Nabi took five wickets in the final and played a key role in the clash for the top spot.
His performances throughout the season earned him a massive offer of Rs 8.40 crore in the IPL auction from Delhi Capitals. He is also in the running to make his debut in India this year.
However, DC did not play Nabi in their first game of the season. Mukesh Kumar, Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan led the pace attack in their opening match against Lucknow Super Giants.
Nabi is expected to debut in the next few matches.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
03 Apr 2026 18:10 IST
