29-year-old Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi Dar earned his maiden India Test call-up on Monday (August 2). The right-arm pacer replaced Jasprit Bumrah in India’s 15-member squad for the two-match
Test series in Sri Lanka. The J&K pacer, who impressed with his wicket-taking abilities in the last two editions of the Ranji Trophy, travelled to Sri Lanka with the Indian team on Tuesday (August 4) and attended his first training session with the squad on Wednesday.
After bowling in the nets, Auqib took to Instagram Stories to share his first reaction. He reposted a BCCI post in which he can be seen bowling.
Here’s a look:
Auqib, who accounted for the dismissal of 60 batters in the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy and played a big role in helping Jammu and Kashmir win their maiden Ranji title, was in line to earn his maiden India Test call-up in June during the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur. However, he was surprisingly not considered by the selectors.
He was not included in the 15-member squad announced by the BCCI’s senior men’s selection committee on July 28 for Sri Lanka series as well. However, after Bumrah failed to recover from the knee injury he suffered while playing against England in the ODI series last month, Auqib was announced as his replacement.
It will, however, be interesting to see if he manages to find a place in India’s playing XI for the series.
Mohammed Siraj will lead India’s fast-bowling attack in the first Test against Sri Lanka, while there is a three-way fight between Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi for the second pacer’s spot.
Due to his experience, Prasidh is the favourite to be India’s second pacer, but a good performance in the three-day practice match in Colombo this week could put Brar and Nabi in contention as well.
Brar has played six ODIs for India so far, but Nabi is yet to represent India in any of the three formats. He travelled to Sri Lanka with the India A team in June-July and played both unofficial Tests in Galle. In the first innings of the first unofficial Test, he picked up four wickets for the visitors.
