Ranji Trophy |Sticking to the fundamentals pays dividends for Nabi

Auqib Nabi picked up a five-for in opposition to Mumbai. | Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR

Auqib Nabi’s profession has been on an upward curve over the previous 12 months. The 28-year-old pacer from Jammu & Kashmir took extra wickets than every other quick bowler within the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season — 44 scalps in eight matches — and he has begun the brand new marketing campaign in the identical vein: with a five-for in opposition to Mumbai on the Sher E Kashmir Cricket Stadium on Friday. Between these highs, he additionally impressed within the Duleep Trophy in August, notably claiming 4 wickets in 4 balls for North Zone in opposition to East Zone in Bengaluru.

His five-wicket haul in opposition to Mumbai — his tenth in 32 First Class matches — got here after J&Okay conceded a 61-run first-innings lead. His victims on Friday had been Musheer Khan, Ajinkya Rahane, Siddhesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan and Akash Anand.

“We had conceded the first-innings lead. So, the plan was simply to get wickets shortly. We had been trying to bowl on the stumps. I simply keep on with the fundamentals,” he stated after the day’s play.

In Nabi’s first 20 matches, he had taken simply 46 wickets. What is behind the transformation that has the bowler from Baramulla now believing that he can play for India?

“When you begin at First Class degree, it’s important to do quite a bit to achieve success. I’ve performed that,” he talked about. “I’ve labored on my ability and health. There have been numerous adjustments in my bowling from the time I began. The outswinger was my pure ball. But as I’ve performed extra, I’ve labored on my inswinger and the scrambled-seam supply. It is a gradual course of through the years. Everything got here collectively properly final season.”

Published – October 17, 2025 10:23 pm IST