Ahead of the fourth ODI against New Zealand, India pacer Auqib Nabi reflected on his long domestic grind for defending Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir and offered a peak into his mindset as a bowler, who backs his strengths and lets the performances talk.
After a poor ODI debut against West Indies on home soil, during which he was smacked for 84 runs in 8.5 overs at Guwahati, Nabi has made the ball talk in New Zealand. While he was unlucky to go wicketless in the first ODI, he still bowled a quality six-over spell of 0/33. In the second ODI, he took two crucial wickets of Tim Seifert and Will Young in a commendable seven-over spell of 2/31.
Nabi played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden Ranji Trophy triumph. The 29-year-old claimed 60 wickets for his side in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, which helped Jammu and Kashmir win their first-ever domestic title. He recorded these wickets over 10 matches (17 innings) at an average of 12.56, including seven five-wicket hauls, becoming the tournament’s top wicket-taker.
Speaking on how his domestic grind has helped him at international level, Auqib said, “It has helped a lot because our domestic cricket is at a very high standard. If you perform well there, you will usually, most probably, do well here as well. So it has helped significantly.”
On the talk about him not having express pace, the J&K star said that while “pace is a plus factor”, he backs his strengths.
“Obviously, having pace is very good, but I back my skill. I performed well and reached here based on my skill. Obviously, pace is a plus factor, but I back my strengths. What I did well in domestic cricket will work here too,” he said.
Auqib is well-known as a player who makes the ball talk and shows very little aggression in form of animated celebrations or send-offs. Speaking on his demeanour, which is unlike a lot of pacers across the world, he said, “That has always been my mindset: do your job quietly, and let your skills your batting and bowling do the talking on the field.”
Hailing from J&K and having faced a journey from lack of facilities to a Ranji Trophy title, Auqib said that the hard work is in players’ hands, and when players do it, everything eventually falls into place.
“It is indeed a huge honour to play for India. Anyone who takes up cricket, regardless of region, aims to play for the country; that was my goal as well. Whenever someone mentions a lack of facilities, I tell them to work as hard as they can with whatever limited facilities they have. Hard work is the only thing in a player’s hands; everything else eventually falls into place. So I tell them (youngsters) to keep working hard, no matter what,” he added.
While the pacer has done well in white-ball cricket at the domestic level, with 58 List-A wickets in 40 matches at an average of 28.98, including three four-fers and 43 T20 wickets in 39 matches at an average of 25.27, with two four-fers, he was not expecting to receive his debut cap in limited-overs cricket for India.
He will also be staying as a net bowler in New Zealand before the Test series commences from November 19 onwards. While he has been a part of Indian Test squads for various series over the past few months, he is not in the squad for NZ Tests and is yet to make his Test debut.
“If you check my record, I have performed well in white-ball cricket for Jammu & Kashmir as well. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting my maiden call-up in white-ball cricket; I was anticipating red-ball. Nonetheless, it is a great opportunity for me to show my skills here too, and it is a very positive experience,” he signed off.
