Aakash Chopra Eyes Auqib Nabi’s Sri Lanka Debut
According to Aakash Chopra, Auqib Nabi’s success in international cricket has been facilitated by Jasprit Bumrah’s inability to recover for the Test series in Sri Lanka. For India’s two-match Test series against Dhananjaya and company, the fast bowler from Jammu and Kashmir has assumed Bumrah’s place.
Nabi’s exceptional accomplishment in the previous season of the red-ball competition was reinforced last year when he ended as the leading wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy. At the IPL 2026 mini-auction, the Delhi Capitals selected the right-arm seamer. He didn’t fare well in the IPL this year, either.
However, Aakash Chopra dismissed Nabi’s terrible performance in the lucrative league and hailed his great numbers in red-ball cricket. “Auqib Nabi should be at the top of the list. He has more than 100 First-class wickets in the last two years.
He had 60 First-class wickets last season. He got left out, but this might be a godsent opportunity. Forget the IPL because he has played well with the red ball, and this is a red-ball tour. I think Auqib Nabi should be an obvious option,” Aakash Chopra remarked in a video on his YouTube channel.
In addition to Nabi, Aakash Chopra noted that Anshul Kamboj is another seamer who earns a berth in India’s red-ball team. When India came to England for a five-match Test series against the Three Lions last year, the pacer for the Chennai Super Kings made his debut for his country.
During the tour, he only appeared in one game. “When I think about a second name, I remember Anshul Kamboj. He made his debut on the England tour. He has only played one match so far, but his performance has been consistent.
If you look at his First-class numbers, you’ll realise he’s pretty good. You should consider AK-47 since he has form, rhythm, and First-class wickets to his name. So he’s the second candidate. “One of these two – Auqib Nabi No. 1, Anshul Kamboj No. 2,” he noted.
Aakash Chopra: “I am slightly surprised and troubled” by the current first-class statistics of Indian seamers.
Aakash Chopra expressed concern about the recent lack of major contributions by seamers in domestic red-ball cricket. The pool is really small. In the 2025-26 season, just two fast bowlers ranked in the top ten: Auqib Nabi with 60 wickets and Mohammad Shami with 37.
The year prior, there were three. Auqib Nabi is also included in that list. He leads with 44 wickets, followed by Manishankar Murasingh and Shardul Thakur, both with 35 wickets,” he stated.
According to Chopra, Nabi and Mohammed Shami have outperformed others in the past two Ranji Trophy seasons.
“Are you looking to Shardul for tests? Is Murasingh getting a Test call-up? No. So, logically, you’ve seen only Auqib Nabi in the last two years, and Mohammad Shami if you want to go in his path.
Then, in 2023-24, we have Gaurav Yadav with 41 wickets, Vijaykumar Vyshak with 39 wickets, and Deepak Dhapula with 38 wickets,” Aakash Chopra noted.
According to Aakash Chopra, only two fast bowlers, Akash Deep and Avesh Khan, have been among the top ten wicket-takers in the previous five domestic seasons (2022-23). Gaurav Yadav returns in 2021-22, but only with 23 wickets, followed by Ravi Teja, Mukesh Kumar, and Baltej Singh. “Where are the bowlers,” he enquired.
