Auqib Nabi has earned his maiden India call-up after being named as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement in the Test squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.
The 29-year-old fast bowler from Jammu and Kashmir has been rewarded for his consistent domestic performances. Nabi has picked up 104 wickets over the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, including 60 wickets in the 2025-26 season, playing a key role in Jammu and Kashmir's maiden Ranji Trophy title.
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He was also part of the India A squad that toured Sri Lanka recently, where he claimed six wickets in two first-class matches.
If Nabi makes his Test debut against Sri Lanka, then he will become the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir state to represent India in Test cricket.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially ruled Bumrah out of the squad on Monday after the pace spearhead failed to recover fully from the left knee niggle which he sustained during the second ODI against England in Cardiff last month.
The injury is understood to be a continuation of the fitness concerns he has managed since the T20 World Cup.
The Indian team is scheduled to depart for Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
India's injury concerns have deepened ahead of the series. Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy have already been ruled out with hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively. Washington Sundar will miss the opening Test because of a hamstring injury, while Akash Deep is continuing his rehabilitation after suffering stress reactions in his back.
Alongside Nabi, India's pace attack for the Sri Lanka tour features Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar.
The two-match Test series begins in Galle on August 15, with India set to play a three-day warm-up match in Colombo from Aug. 7.
Auqib's first-class record
Auqib Nabi has built an impressive first-class record, claiming 162 wickets in 43 matches at an average of 18.63. The 29-year-old has registered 16 five-wicket hauls and has taken 10 or more wickets in a match on four occasions, underlining his consistency in red-ball cricket.
Nabi has also contributed with the bat lower down the order, scoring 999 runs at an average of 18.84, including two half-centuries.
His breakthrough season came in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, where he spearheaded Jammu and Kashmir's maiden title triumph. He finished the campaign with 60 wickets from 10 matches at a remarkable average of 12.56, including seven five-wicket hauls.
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India squad for Sri Lanka Tests
Shubman Gill (capt), KL Rahul (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), B Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain.
*Subject to fitness clearance.
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