If you follow domestic cricket in India, Auqib Nabi Dar is a name you must have heard of. The Jammu and Kashmir paceman tore it up in the Ranji Trophy. The cricketing world is taking serious notice and a possible Test call-up is being openly discussed.
As you watch him roll, you feel a sense of peace. Not the intense, passionate type you associate with fast bowlers. Just a cool, composed demeanor every time he runs in. His delivery step is graceful, smooth and repeatable. But what does he do? It’s not just how he bowls that makes Auqib truly compelling. It’s about where he came from and how he got here.
Growing up in Baramulla, he didn’t have the luxury of proper land or a good background. He perfected his art in confined spaces and in hilly terrain, often with no room for a full run. Every little session, every spell on the uneven terrain, it all added up.
A true all-rounder, Nabi swings the new ball, perfected his skills at the deathand bat chips too. He was outstanding in Ranji Trophy 2024-25. He ended up with 44 wickets at a staggering average of 13.93, long spells on a variety of grounds and conditions and showed up regardless of whether there was help for the seamers or not.
His campaign was so impressive that former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik visited X to express his admiration. Karthik wrote that he couldn’t think of any pacer/player doing what he did after a long time. He went further and held Nabi up as an example for every young cricketer in the country to follow, calling it a lesson in how to break through with “willpower, skill and resilience”.
STEYN ON SCREEN, DREAMS IN THE HILLS
So how does a Baramulla boy with no proper ground and limited background become one of the most exciting pace prospects in Indian domestic cricket? He turned to YouTube. Dale Steyn became his class.
“I used to watch Dale Steyn a lot. There was no proper pitch where I lived, so I watched his videos and tried to copy his action in practice. I imitated his action so much that my hand started moving so naturally and the jump developed automatically,” said Nabi.
But he didn’t stop there. He knew that batters would eventually read the outswinger, so he worked to develop the inswing. His bowling coach Krishna Sir helped him understand the wrist position and suddenly he had both swings in his locker. Even on flat pitches, he relies on the upright seam to extract movement, a skill increasingly rare and valuable in today’s batsman-friendly conditions.
None of these changes were overnight. Each one was a small victory, pursued deliberately and patiently. And that’s the point.
JUMPS FROM WINDOWS INTO HISTORY
His father, a teacher, wanted him to concentrate on his studies. Maybe become a doctor. There is a moment Nabi remembers with a smile. His father once locked the door from the outside before an exam so he could study. There was a local match that day. Nabi jumped out of the window, went to play, came home, got spanked and sat for the exam the next day. He excelled in both.
That stubbornness, that refusal to give up on the little things, is what defines him.
Over time, as the performances piled up, his family came along. When Parvez Rasool became the first Kashmiri to represent India, she lit a fire in Nabi. Here was proof that it could be done.
For any young cricketer sitting in a small town today, unsure if the dream is worth chasing, Nabi’s journey is the answer. You don’t need the best facilities or the biggest platform. You just have to keep showing up.
Keep chasing the small wins, the extra charm, the quietly developed skill, the level field goal of pure craftsmanship. These small wins are what eventually add up to the big one.
“If you work hard, it doesn’t matter where you come from or your background. Believe in your skills. Keep improving. If you have willpower and resilience, you can break through any door,” said Nabi.
He once jumped out of a window to fulfill his dream. The door to the Indian cap may be the next one he breaks through.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
February 26, 2026
