Auqib Nabi among six bowlers called up by Indian test team as net bowlers before IND vs AFG test match. Image Credit: ANI
India test squad: With the addition of six net bowlers, India has strengthened its preparations for the forthcoming one-off Test match against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. To help the team prepare for the red-ball match, Gurjapneet Singh, Auqib Nabi, Prince Yadav, Saransh Jain, Zeeshan Ansari, and Shivang Kumar have joined the Indian camp. Alongside Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, and Gurnoor Brar, the six net bowlers enter the attack. In the meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill can deploy Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Harsh Dubey as important bowling alternatives.
While Auqib Nabi will join the test squad, the pacer from Jammu and Kashmir will not feature for Shubman Gill’s side in the longest format. Nabi, one of the six bowlers joining the Indian squad, is notable for his outstanding domestic season in 2025–2026. With 60 wickets at a remarkable average of 12.56 in just 17 innings, the pacer from Jammu & Kashmir became the top wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy. His efforts were crucial to Jammu & Kashmir winning their first Ranji Trophy, making him one of the nation’s most promising fast-bowling prospects.
In what was yet another disappointing season for the Lucknow Super Giants, Prince Yadav remained a consistent performer. The right-arm medium pacer earlier earned a maiden call-up to the ODI squad against Afghanistan. However, his consistent lines and lengths which earned him 16 wickets in 14 games, could prove to be useful for batters preparing for the one-off test in Mullanpur.
Gurjapneet Singh was one of the finds of the tournament for the Chennai Super Kings. The left-arm pacer who might not have been in the plans at the start of the tournament for Ruturaj Gaikwad and the CSK management played a pivotal role in the comeback story for the five-time champions. In a team marred with injuries, Gurjapneet bowled some crucial spells. While the left-arm pacer had only four wickets to show for his efforts, he showed how he has the ability to stick to a line and length, something which can be rewardful in test cricket, even when bowling in the nets.
While Gurjapneet Singh, Auqib Nabi, Prince Yadav, Saransh Jain, Zeeshan Ansari, and Shivang Kumar have been called up by the Indian team, their dream of playing for India in the longest format would have to wait. The six bowlers will be used by Shubman Gill and co to prepare their batters while not exposing the bowlers from their playing XI to excessive heat.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
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