'I thought my opportunity would come in red-ball cricket' - Auqib Nabi on India call-up

Jammu and Kashmir medium-pacer Auqib Nabi made his ODI debut for India in the second match of a three-game series against West Indies at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on September 30, 2026. He came into the playing eleven in place of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, having been selected for the Indian ODI squad on September 16, 2026.

Nabi had built his standing almost entirely through red-ball cricket before that call-up arrived. Across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Ranji Trophy seasons combined, he claimed 104 wickets, and his overall first-class record stands at 170 wickets from 45 matches. In List A cricket, he has taken 56 wickets from 36 games. His red-ball form also earned him a place in India's squad for the first unofficial Test against New Zealand, where he returned six wickets.

Why did Nabi not expect a white-ball call-up?

Nabi's rise through the Indian system was driven almost entirely by his performances in the longer format. His Ranji Trophy wicket hauls across two consecutive seasons made him a prominent name in red-ball circles, and his six-wicket return in the unofficial Test against New Zealand reinforced that reputation. A white-ball opportunity, by his own admission, was not something he had anticipated at this stage of his career.

"I wasn’t expecting a white-ball call-up, to be honest. I thought my opportunity would come in red-ball cricket, in the Test format. But I see this (playing ODI cricket for India) as a great chance to showcase my skills," Nabi was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

How has Nabi found bowling conditions in New Zealand?

Nabi's debut spell of 84 runs from ten overs on the flat Guwahati pitch offered a contrasting picture to what he encountered in New Zealand, where seam movement plays a greater role. He has spoken about the advice he received from senior Indian players on how to adapt his approach in those conditions.

"This is my first time bowling in New Zealand, so the conditions are a little different. You have to rely more on seam movement because top-level batters can play swing well. That was the feedback from Rohit bhai, Virat bhai and Shubman. If you bowl a scrambled-seam delivery or hit the deck hard, there is a greater chance of taking wickets here," he added.

He also noted a degree of familiarity with the climate.

"The weather is quite similar because we experience comparable conditions back home as well. The main difference is the level of opposition. International cricket is different from domestic cricket, but the wickets are quite similar."

Despite not possessing express pace, Nabi remains confident in his bowling strengths and believes they can help him succeed at the international level.

"Of course, having extra pace is always an advantage. But I back my skills. I have performed well with them in domestic cricket, and I believe those strengths will help me at this level too,"

Auqib Nabi was added to India's ODI squad for the first three matches of the New Zealand series on October 31, 2026, having initially been included only for the fourth and fifth ODIs of the tour. Full squad details for the complete series were not supplied in the source material.