Ranji Trophy Final: Auqib Nabi continues to perform exceptionally as he puts Jammu and Kashmir in the driving seat in the Ranji Trophy Final against Karnataka. The right-arm pacer has been in sensational form since the last season and is in a great position to get a maiden call-up to the Indian team.
On a track where his team piled up 584 runs, Nabi has proven to be the point of difference between the two sides. In his fifer, the pacer claimed key scalps of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, and Ravichandran Smaran. Thanks to the advantage of a tall score, J&K could afford to have more attacking fields.
Nabi shines in Ranji Trophy Final
Auqib Nabi picked up his seventh fifer of the season during the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka. The right-arm pacer picked up his 60th wicket in the process, becoming only the third fast bowler to do so in a single season. Not only did he dismiss international batters like KL Rahul, Karun Nair, and Mayank Agarwal, but the pacer also dismissed the highest run-getter of the season, Ravichandran Smaran, for a golden duck.
Talking about his success during the final, Nabi talked about how it is crucial to keep a cool head and a positive mindset. He said, “positive mindset instead of thinking about the results.”
Nabi’s incredible performance throughout the season
Auqib Nabi’s feat of 60 wickets is incredibly special because most Indian surfaces do not aid pace bowling. Among the top five wicket-takers in this season, not only does Nabi rank first, but he is the only pace bowler. Mohammed Shami has the second-most wickets among pacers with 37 scalps next to his name in seven matches.
Throughout the season, Nabi has played against different teams on different surfaces. For a fast bowler to find success in India is highly unprecedented. In spite of having some great pacers, only Jaydev Unadkat and Dodda Ganesh have been able to take 60 wickets in a single season before Nabi.
Nabi shines throughout the knockouts
Jammu and Kashmir has traditionally never been a strong side in the domestic circuit. However, Nabi’s performance in the last season meant that they challenged the top teams. In 2025/26, Nabi and the J&K team went multiple steps further. They not only challenged the top teams but defeated them as well, and they made it to their first final.
While Auqib led the charge, he was duly supported by left-arm pacer Sunil Kumar, who has claimed 31 wickets in nine games so far. Among the batting unit, Abdul Samad ranks 10th on the top run-getter list, while seasoned veteran and skipper, Paras Dogra, ranks 15th with 636 runs.
Nabi’s numbers in 2025/26
Auqib Nabi finished Ranji Trophy 2024/25 as the second-highest wicket-taker with 44 scalps in eight games. However, J&K could not make it past the quarter-final, and the 50-wicket peak could not be reached by the 29-year-old. In this season, he bettered his previous season by a long mile as he has claimed 60 wickets so far. Here is a look at his performance:
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Matches- 10*
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Innings- 17
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Wickets- 60
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Average- 12.56
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Strike Rate- 28.43
He has been a decent batter lower down the order, having scored 245 runs in 12 innings, averaging a touch above 22.
India call-up for the J&K pacer?
With the Indian test team failing to assert any sort of dominance at home, Auqib Nabi, with his experience of playing on these placid tracks, could come in handy when the Shubman Gill-led side plays at home or even in other Asian countries. Having the ability to contribute with some runs down the order as well could entice Gautam Gambhir, who has preferred bowlers who can bat a bit.
