Auqib Nabi is the uncapped Jammu and Kashmir seamer the BCCI turned to after Jasprit Bumrah failed his fitness test before the Sri Lanka series. The 29-year-old earned his maiden India call-up on August 3, arriving off a stunning 2025-26 Ranji season where he took 60 wickets and led his state to its first-ever title. He is not expected to walk straight into the Galle Test XI, with captain Shubman Gill hinting at a tough call among the seamers who already have India caps.
BCCI Confirms Bumrah’s Injury Replacement
The BCCI made it official on August 3, confirming Jasprit Bumrah would miss the Sri Lanka series after failing his final fitness test at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The left knee injury from the England ODI series simply had not healed enough.
The selectors turned to Auqib Nabi as his replacement, handing the Jammu and Kashmir quick his first senior call-up. It is a reward built on pure domestic form rather than reputation or age.
Captain Shubman Gill addressed the pace group at his press conference in Galle on August 14. He said Brar has been excellent with the old ball, while Krishna has bowled well recently, calling the choice between them tough. Nabi’s name did not come up as a contender for the opener.
Auqib Nabi IND vs SL 2026 debut
The 2025-26 Ranji season explains the call-up. Across 10 matches and 17 innings, he claimed 60 wickets at 12.56, the best average of any bowler with 22 or more wickets. He took seven five-wicket hauls, joint-most by any pacer in a single edition, and won Player of the Tournament.
His knockout figures stand out further. He returned 7/40 and 5/70 against Madhya Pradesh, then 5/87 and 4/36 against Bengal, before closing the final against Karnataka with 5/54. The season before read 44 wickets from eight matches at 13.93, joint-second behind Harsh Dubey’s 69.
Together the two campaigns give him 104 wickets in 18 matches with 13 five-wicket hauls. His first-class career now reads 156 wickets from 41 matches at 18.37, with 16 five-fers. On the India A tour of Sri Lanka, he took six wickets in two games as the side won 1-0.
A Record-Breaking Ranji Trophy Campaign
Jammu and Kashmir lifted their maiden Ranji Trophy title this season, and Nabi was the biggest reason why. In the final against Karnataka at the KSCA Stadium in Hubballi, the match ended in a draw, but J&K were declared champions on a first-innings lead of 291 runs.
He took 5/54 on the third day of the final, removing KL Rahul, Karun Nair, R. Smaran and Mayank Agarwal in one spell. J&K piled up 584/10 before bowling Karnataka out for 293. He became the first J&K bowler to take 50 or more wickets in a single Ranji season. He is also the first from the state to top the national wicket-taking charts outright.
India’s Pace Attack Without Bumrah
The pace options for the Galle opener come down to four names: Siraj, Krishna, Brar and Nabi. Siraj is confirmed with the new ball, but the second seamer spot is contested. Gill called the choice between Krishna and Brar tough, though he leaned toward Krishna despite Brar’s three wickets in the warm-up game.
Most predicted line-ups pair Siraj and Krishna, backed by three spinners in Jadeja, Kuldeep and Suthar. Washington Sundar is also unavailable, and Sai Sudharsan was ruled out on August 9 with a toe injury, with Sarfaraz Khan brought in as his replacement.
| Player | Recent Domestic Wickets | FC Average | Squad Status |
| Auqib Nabi | 60 wickets (Ranji 2025-26) | 18.63 | In squad (Called up as late replacement for Bumrah) |
| Mohammed Siraj | 39 wickets (WTC 2025-27 cycle) | 26.70 | Confirmed starter (Leading the pace attack) |
| Prasidh Krishna | 129 total career FC wickets | 24.26 | Confirmed starter (Named in 1st Test playing XI) |
| Gurnoor Brar | 22 wickets (Sher-E-Punjab T20) | 25.24 | In squad (On the bench for the 1st Test) |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Ruled out (On-field injury sustained in UK) | 19.79 (Test avg) | ABSENT (Withdrawn from full tour) |
At 29, Nabi is not short of proof against tough domestic batting. For now, though, the Auqib Nabi IND vs SL 2026 debut stays on hold, with the more experienced seamers given first refusal in Galle.
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