'I was at the airport heading to Bangalore' - Auqib Nabi opens up on maiden Test call-up

Auqib Nabi received his maiden call-up to the India Test squad on Monday, August 3, 2026, as a replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the two-match Test tour of Sri Lanka. The 29-year-old seamer from Jammu and Kashmir became the first player from the Kashmir valley to be selected in India's Test squad. Nabi is the third player from Jammu and Kashmir after Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik to receive a senior national team call-up.

Nabi's selection came after Bumrah failed to recover from a left knee niggle picked up in Cardiff during the second ODI against England in July. The injury has been an extension of issues Bumrah faced since the T20 World Cup. Nabi was at the airport preparing to travel to Bangalore for a Centre of Excellence camp when he received the unexpected news of his Test selection. The call came as a surprise because the India squad for the Sri Lanka tour had already been announced, making his late inclusion as a replacement particularly significant.

"I was at the airport. We had to go for a camp at CoE. I was about to board a flight to Bangalore. So, I got a call asking where I was. I told him that I was going to Bangalore; I was at the airport," Nabi said in a video released by BCCI.

"He told me that you don’t have to go there, you have to come to Sri Lanka. You have been selected. At first, I couldn’t believe it. It was unexpected because the squad was already announced. I was like, I will work hard in the camp at CoE," he added.

Domestic performances earn Nabi his opportunity

Nabi's selection was built on strong domestic performances over the past two seasons. He took 104 wickets across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, including 60 in the 2025-26 campaign, where he played a significant role in Jammu and Kashmir's maiden Ranji Trophy triumph. He was also part of the India A squad that toured Sri Lanka recently, claiming six wickets in two first-class matches.

"Yes, I had expectations. But as a cricketer, you have to have the mindset that your job is to perform. I did think that I would get a call-up sooner or later. If you have been doing well for years, you have to get the fruits of your hard work," Nabi said.

"I used to bow with the same mindset; my job is to take wickets and perform, and leave the rest to the Almighty. Now that my name has come up, I am very happy, and my family is also happy. There can’t be a bigger moment for me than this. The atmosphere was great. Sharing the dressing room with the people we see on TV, sharing the nets, was a big deal for me," he added.