“England is the place to start the summer,” said former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who on Friday backed Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi for national selection after his five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground.Nabi returned figures of 5/54 in 23 overs as J&K bowled out Karnataka for 293 to secure a first innings lead of 291 runs in the summit clash. He now leads the wicket-taking charts this season with 60 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 12.56, including seven five-wicket hauls.
India keep T20 World Cup dream alive, now to Kolkata
In a post on X, Ganguly said that Nabi should be considered for India’s July 2026 white-ball tour of England, where India are scheduled to play five T20Is and three ODIs. The series will be part of the preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.“J&K have shown the world what effort and intent can do ..They have made this region so proud of them. Tough environment makes tough people. Aqib nabi on his way to national colours. England is the place to start in the summer,” Ganguly wrote.With just a few sessions left in the final, a draw looks likely to give Jammu and Kashmir their maiden Ranji Trophy title on the back of a first-innings lead.Earlier, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik also praised Nabi’s season, noting that he appeared in all the matches and played in different conditions.“Watching this Ranji Trophy campaign and watching it closely, one thing I can say for sure, for all the young boys and girls out there playing the sport and wanting to represent the country, do it the AAQIB NABI way. I can’t think of any pacer/player doing what he has done for a long time,” he wrote on X.“Dominance from start to finish and almost the only win in the home tournament that matters the most to get into the national team,” he wrote.“The fitness throughout the campaign, bowling those long spells and in different pitches and weather conditions and whether there was any help for the pacer or not, he was there for his team with belief every time he had the ball to bat for his team.“Hats off to you AAQIB, you are an absolute champion and I hope you achieve much success that comes your way and be a lesson in how it is done to break down doors through sheer force of will, skill and resilience,” he added.
