Mumbai: Many had expected Auqib Nabi to be named in India’s Test squad following a blockbuster domestic season when he helped Jammu & Kashmir win their maiden Ranji Trophy title.
The 29-year-old pacer, who grabbed 104 wickets over the last two Ranji seasons including 60 in the historic 2025-26 campaign, failed to make the cut for the Sri Lanka tour initially.
However, the selectors drafted him into the 15-man squad after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out for the two-Test series starting on August 15.
It’s a just reward for Aquib, as well as Jammu & Kashmir cricket. But is he the first from that region to break into the national team?
The answer is no, if one considers international cricket.
It was Parvez Rasool who broke the glass ceiling, making his ODI debut for India in June 2014.
The off-spinning allrounder played one more international game in white-ball format, a T20 International in 2017.
Tearaway pacer Umran Malik has outdone Rasool, having played 10 ODIs and 8 T20Is so far. He is just 26, so Umran can still hope for a few more international appearances — provided he can stay control his injuries, and stay fit and healthy.
Aquib has now become the third J & K cricketer to force his way into the national team.
But he is the first one to make the grade in Test cricket. Whether he gets a chance to feature in the playing XI in either the Galle Test (August 15-19) or Colombo SSC Test (August 23-27) remains to be seen.
