Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi says he was inspired to take up fast bowling after watching former South African great Dale Steyn, whose ability to swing the ball at high pace left a lasting impact on him.
Nabi was a key figure in J&K's historic Ranji Trophy title run this season. The 29-year-old was the season's highest wicket-taker with 60 scalps in 17 innings at an average of 12.65. He has been bowling brilliantly in the domestic circuit for the last two seasons as he has picked up 104 wickets across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Ranji Trophy seasons.
He is currently training with the Delhi Capitals and is awaiting his maiden IPL appearance. The franchise bought him at the previous IPL auction for Rs 8.4 crore.
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— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) March 26, 2026
Nabi has the chance to earn his maiden IPL cap on Saturday when Delhi Capitals take on five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
"I used to watch Dale Steyn a lot when I was young. The way he swung the ball at such high pace inspired me to become a fast bowler and hopefully play for India one day," Nabi told Indian Premier League's broadcasters JioHotstar in an interview.
In the interaction he recalled that his early passion for cricket often drew criticism at home.
"I used to get scolded a lot by my father because I kept playing cricket. He didn't support it at first he wanted me to become a doctor," he said.
Nabi credited former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan, who worked as a mentor in the J&K setup, for shaping his development.
"When Irfan bhai joined as mentor, I was in the Under-23 team and my performances caught his attention. He played a big role in helping me break into the senior team. He guided me a lot and was extremely helpful," Nabi added.
Pathan, reflecting on Nabi's journey, said the goal during his tenure was to build a strong pool of fast bowlers in Jammu and Kashmir and Nabi quickly became a key part of that vision.
"I first saw Auqib Nabi in 2018. When I was mentoring the J&K side, we wanted to create a strong group of eight to ten fast bowlers, and Auqib was one of the main ones," Pathan said.
"What impressed me most was his ability to bowl long spells at the Under-23 and junior levels, and the late movement he generated."
Pathan added that Nabi stands out because he can extract seam movement and swing the ball both ways, even without express pace.
"Many international bowlers have a straight seam, like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Auqib may not consistently touch 140 kmph, but the way he bowls makes the ball hurry off the surface," Pathan explained.
"By bowling close to the stumps, he can swing the ball away regularly and also surprise batters with the one that comes in that's his biggest strength." said the former cricketer.
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