Saurav Ganguly

Aquib Nabi has exploded on the nation's cricket consciousness like a bouncer slamming into a batsman's helmet. The man, who has now been nicknamed the "Kashmir Express," is the cynosure of all eyes today. He is already knocking on the doors of the Indian team, and if the door is not opened quickly, he is quite capable of breaking it down with his speed and energy. A haul of 60 wickets in a single Ranji Trophy season cannot be a matter of luck. It speaks for the hard work and sacrifice that lie in his background. It was a display of sheer dominance and fighting spirit. From the opening spell of the group stages to the high-pressure final, Nabi was the ultimate game-changer in every match. Thanks to his sustained pace bowling and exceptional performances by several of his teammates, Jammu and Kashmir chalked up a historic victory recently. J-K recorded its first-ever triumph in the Ranji trophy championship by beating the former eight-time champion Karnataka in a decisive manner in the final. Jammu and Kashmir's captain Paras Dogra and others celebrate with the tournament trophy after winning the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final cricket match against Karnataka, at KSCA Stadium, in Hubballi, Dharwad district, on Saturday, February 28. Also ReadJammu and Kashmir win maiden Ranji Trophy title Nabi's seventh five-wicket haul J-K dominated the summit clash against Karnataka at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Ground in Hubballi. After registering a score of 584 (in which Subham Pundir scored a patient 121), J-K took a 291-run lead on the fourth day. The man who was mainly responsible was pacer Auqib Nabi, who took his seventh fiver of the ongoing Ranji 2025-26 season. Karnataka's Mayank Agarwal led a lone fight, but after he was dismissed for 160, the team’s innings folded up. It gave J-K the winning advantage. Opening batsman Qamran Iqbal hammered the last nail into Karnataka's coffin by scoring an unbeaten 160 in J-K's second outing. The northern outfit finally won the match by virtue of the first innings lead. When the amazing success story of the team is told in the future, there will be another name that will be remembered – that of coach Ajay Sharma, or “Ajju bhai” as the players call him. He was once known as “the dictator" and the players did not want to go near him. But now, he is credited with transforming the mindset of the players, from being a team that merely participated and survived, to a fighting and winning combination. Also ReadCommando-style training secret behind Abhishek Sharma's striking power Parvez Rasool is ecstatic Former J-K captain Parvez Rasool was ecstatic about the victory. He said, "There were quarter-final finishes even during my time as captain. We once defeated a powerhouse like Mumbai. But what Auqib Nabi has accomplished goes far beyond expectations. And it’s not just Nabi, my appreciation goes to everyone. That includes skipper Paras Dogra, coach Ajay Sharma and players such as Qamran Iqbal, Shubham Pundir, Sunil Kumar and Abdul Samad. Every single one of them deserves recognition.” But it was Nabi who grabbed the headlines as well as the attention of many experts. Commentator Harsha Bhogle and former captain and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Sourav Ganguly are among those who are highly impressed by Nabi. Ganguly speaks out for Nabi India is scheduled to tour England for a white-ball series in July 2026. As a captain, Ganguly was known for his ability to spot and develop untried players. The former skipper now believes the time is ripe for Nabi to feature in the Indian squad. Ganguly wrote on X: “J&K has shown the world what effort and intent can do. They have made that region so proud of them. A tuff environment makes tuff people. Auqib Nabi is on his way to national colours. England is the place to start in the summer @bcci @imAagarkar @lonsaikia.” Nabi's superiority was clearly evident by the fact that he made the ball talk even on a pitch where Karnataka bowlers struggled to find their rhythm. They conceded 584 runs in the first innings to J-K. But Nabi was able to get late swing and pitch movement. He made the ball go away and also brought it in to keep the batsmen guessing. Indian team batters like KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal found the going difficult when Nabi was hurling down his swinging thunderbolts. Jammu and Kashmir's Auqib Nabi celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Karnataka's Smaran Ravichandran during the third day of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final cricket match between Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir at the KSCA Cricket Stadium, in Hubballi, Karnataka, on Thursday, February 26. Landmark achievements by Nabi The latest five-wicket haul was the 15th of his overall career. He became the third pacer in the Ranji Trophy's 92-year history to claim 60 wickets in a single season. Earlier, he had won the Player of the Match award in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in February 2026 when he took 5 for 87 and 4 for 36 and also scored 42 in his team's victory over Bengal. It was this victory that ensured J-K a place in its first-ever Ranji Trophy final. Nabi has taken 10 wickets in a match on four occasions and his career-best performance is a haul of 7 for 24. He was always a formidable bowler, but even by his own standards, he has been in remarkable form in recent times. He was awarded with an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract when he was picked by Delhi Capitals for INR 8.40 crore in the auction. India is slated to travel to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series later this year and is also scheduled to travel to New Zealand for a multi-format series. With such performances, Nabi has definitely charged into the reckoning for a place in the Indian team. Unwise to ignore Nabi's potential It would be highly unwise for Ajit Agarkar and his selection committee members to ignore the claims of this fast bowler from Baramulla who can make the rival batters hop up and down on the crease with his pace, bounce and swing movement. Nabi had stated earlier that his goal was to wear whites for India one day, and this is the right time to give the fast bowler a chance to fulfil his life's ambition.

Saurav Ganguly

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