Srinagar, Sep 16: Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi, the pace bowler who shot to prominence with a hat-trick of a different kind in the Duleep Trophy, was on Wednesday named in India’s 15-member squad for the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, earning his first national call-up.
The 29-year-old from Baramulla — dubbed the “Baramulla Express” — is the lone cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir in the squad announced by the BCCI’s Men’s Selection Committee, a selection that rewards a domestic season of rare consistency.
Nabi first caught the selectors’ eye during the Duleep Trophy, where he claimed four wickets in four consecutive deliveries, a feat few bowlers have achieved in the tournament’s history. He carried that form into the Ranji Trophy, emerging as the highest wicket-taker with 60 scalps in 10 matches and powering Jammu and Kashmir to their maiden title.
His rise has been swift. Earlier this year, he was drafted into India’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka series as a replacement for the injured Jasprit Bumrah. At the 2026 IPL auction, Delhi Capitals secured his services for Rs 8.40 crore — a reflection of the pace and promise that have made him one of the country’s most-watched domestic bowlers.
For a region that has long punched above its weight in domestic cricket without commensurate national representation, Nabi’s selection is being seen as a breakthrough. It comes close on the heels of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ranji Trophy triumph, a campaign in which he was central.
India’s ODI squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (VC), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Naman Dhir.
The series opens in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27.
Irani Cup: Pant to lead Rest of India
The BCCI also announced the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup against Ranji champions Jammu and Kashmir. Rishabh Pant will captain the side, with Sarfaraz Khan as his deputy. The match will be played in Srinagar from October 1.
