Jammu & Kashmir seam-bowling all-rounder Auqib Nabi has earned his maiden India call-up after being named as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning on August 15.
The BCCI on Monday confirmed that Bumrah has been ruled out of the series after failing to recover from the injury he sustained last month.
“Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka as he has not yet fully recovered from the left knee injury sustained during the ODI series against England. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Auqib Nabi as Bumrah’s replacement. The Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler earns his maiden call-up to the senior national team,” the BCCI said in a statement.
Nabi’s selection follows a stellar domestic season. The 29-year-old right-arm pacer claimed 60 wickets in the Ranji Trophy last season, playing a key role in Jammu & Kashmir’s maiden title triumph. Across the last two Ranji Trophy campaigns, he has taken 104 wickets.
His performances also earned him his first IPL contract with Delhi Capitals in 2026. Although he featured in five matches without taking a wicket, Nabi impressed on the India A tour of Sri Lanka, picking up six wickets in two four-day matches as India A won the series 1-0.
Nabi had earlier been part of the national setup as a net bowler for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, but this is his first inclusion in India’s senior squad.
The call-up is another milestone for Jammu & Kashmir cricket. While Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik have previously represented India in white-ball cricket, Nabi becomes the first cricketer from the Union Territory to receive a call-up to the men’s Test team.
Nabi had been training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru ahead of the Duleep Trophy after spending a few days in Srinagar. He will now join the Indian squad in Mumbai before its departure for Colombo on Tuesday.
India will play a three-day practice match in Colombo from August 7 to 9 before travelling to Galle for the first Test, starting on August 15. The second Test will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23 to 27.
India’s updated squad: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan (subject to fitness clearance), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi.
(IANS)
