New Delhi, February 23 – In the Jammu and Kashmir dressing room, filled with the nerves of playing their first-ever Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka in Hubbali, fast bowling spearhead Auqib Nabi is, by all accounts, the calmest man in the room. This composure is precisely what makes Nabi, hailing from Sheeri, a small village in Baramulla, so effective.
When J&K take the field for the title clash in Hubbali on Tuesday, all eyes will be on Nabi to deliver another impressive performance with the ball. This season, Nabi has taken 55 wickets in nine matches – the second-highest among bowlers – at a remarkable average of 12.72. These figures are exceptional for Nabi, and bowling coach P. Krishnakumar recalls how the naturally reserved pacer became a formidable opponent.
"If you look at his record, he has taken 199 wickets in 40 matches. I have worked with him for the last three years, and he has taken 99 wickets in the previous two seasons. This season, he has already taken over 50 wickets, which shows that his skills have reached a new level. He knows how to control the ball, bowl on different pitches, and against different batsmen. Therefore, it's not a one-off achievement; it took almost a year to develop, and it began in the first year when I joined the Jammu & Kashmir team," said Krishnakumar in an exclusive conversation with
Nabi, who has long admired Dale Steyn, made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2020, but it was in the last two seasons that he has gained recognition among domestic cricket fans through his ability to bowl both inswing and outswing deliveries. Krishnakumar emphasizes that Nabi's bowling action is the foundation of his success.
"You see, he has a very good action. The reason why the ball consistently lands in the same spot is because he releases the ball from the same spot, which is very important. Therefore, if we analyze it biomechanically, as a coach, I see that his action is very good, almost perfect.
“If we compare and analyze it from a biomechanical perspective, his action is perfect. This helps him to release the ball repeatedly from the same spot, and he repeats this action consistently, which is why he is so accurate. With his swing and seam, it becomes very difficult for batsmen to score against Auqib."
The smooth bowling action and accuracy with the ball did not come overnight, as Krishnakumar describes Nabi's challenging first year of transformation. "The first year I worked with him, it was all about developing the process, and the results started appearing after that. He is now reaping the rewards of his hard work.
“So, this is what happened, and he worked very hard during that year. He bowled over 1,000 balls to develop his skills, master his wrist position, and his backspin. There were many aspects of bowling that I discussed with him during that first year, and it took almost a year to change his approach," he said.
If any single performance highlighted Nabi's potential this season, it was the semi-final against Bengal in Kalyani – a match that pitted him against India pacer Mohammed Shami in a high-stakes contest. Shami took seven wickets in the first innings to help Bengal gain an advantage.
Nabi responded with nine wickets in the match, including a four-wicket haul in the second innings that dismissed Bengal for 99, giving J&K a modest target of 126, which they successfully chased. He also contributed 42 runs with the bat at a critical juncture, as J&K scored 302 in the first innings.
This was not his only standout performance of the campaign. Against Rajasthan, Nabi took his career-best figures of 7-24, and at one point, he took five wickets for just five runs. He also contributed a half-century to help J&K navigate a challenging batting situation in the same game. Against Delhi, Nabi delivered another Player of the Match performance, helping J&K achieve its first-ever victory over the traditional powerhouse.
These performances, along with 44 wickets last season and a hat-trick in the Duleep Trophy, have firmly established Nabi as a standout player. "Auqib has been fantastic, taking 99 wickets in the last two seasons is an incredible achievement. It doesn't happen often on Indian wickets, and I understand that it can happen on fast or helpful pitches.
“But on placid pitches, it's very difficult to achieve, which shows the quality and skill of the bowler. I am sure he will get a chance in the upcoming Test series," said Krishnakumar.
Krishnakumar, who previously worked as a bowling coach at the NCA (now the BCCI Centre of Excellence), is confident in Nabi's potential for the national team. "As a coach, I believe that he should be given a chance when he is performing, rather than waiting for more opportunities. Taking almost 100 wickets in two years – what more do you want as a player? Wherever he has played, in the Ranji Trophy or Duleep Trophy, he has performed, right?
“So, I think this is the right time to give him a chance. If he performs well, then you know where he needs to improve. You have to give him a chance, and that is very important because that's why these tournaments are organized.
“Basically, these tournaments are to identify who can play for the Indian team. If someone is performing well, then they should definitely get a chance. Plus, we also need more fast bowling options, right? So, if you get someone, then try them. We only have two fast bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj – so if we look at this, then…
“Other bowlers like Harshit Rana are one-format bowlers. Besides him, there is Arshdeep. He is also considered a white-ball bowler, but my view is different because I worked with Arshdeep in the Duleep Trophy. So, he is definitely a bowler who can play Test cricket, and he has the ability to do so."
For now, all the attention is focused on the Ranji Trophy final, where Nabi will be at the peak of his performance against Karnataka's formidable batting line-up, featuring India internationals KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Karun Nair, and Mayank Agarwal, along with Smaran Ravichandran.
However, Krishnakumar believes that this grand occasion will not significantly alter Nabi's demeanor. "The best thing about Nabi is that he remains calm in his mind, and this has been very helpful. He is almost the same in every game – whether he gets bowled for some runs, he remains calm. If he takes a five-wicket haul, he remains the same, and that is very important. He has a calm head, and that makes it easier for me as a coach to guide him," he said.
For a young man from Baramulla who trained without proper grounds, shoes, and coaches, reaching the Ranji Trophy final is already a remarkable achievement. But taking the wickets needed to achieve glory for his state (and pave the way for getting into the national team) is what Nabi will have in mind when he steps onto the field in Hubbali this week.
