A genuine swing bowler can generate movement either way at the flick of the wrist. Auqib Nabi, the spearhead of Jammu and Kashmir’s pace attack, is one of those bowlers blessed with the skillset required to gain entry into the swing-bowling club. The hooping inswinger that castled Kerala’s N Basil in last season’s Ranji Trophy game encapsulates his natural ability.
More importantly, his 63 wickets at an astonishing average of less than 14 over the last two Ranji Trophy seasons tell a story of unremitting consistency. Such has been his golden run in Indian domestic cricket that he even claimed four wickets in four deliveries in a recently concluded Duleep Trophy game.
Reading through the above paragraphs, it might seem as if the art of swing bowling comes easily to the man from Baramulla. However, like any other athlete, he has had to fine-tune his craft in his own training workshops. When he tried to complement his outswing with an inswinger, he initially lost the feel for the former, a problem many fine practitioners have grappled with.
“Initially, I was an outswing bowler. I then worked on my inswing. Both are coming very well from the hand. Swinging the ball both ways is my strength; it is giving me results,” he said. “When I tried to bowl the inswing, my outswing went. Next year, I worked on both types of swing, and it went well.
“Since last season, it has been very good for me. In the Duleep Trophy and now in this season’s Ranji Trophy, things have started really well. I am excited to play further matches. It is always good to play against big teams and perform well against them,” he added.
In modern-day Test cricket, we have seen the advent of wobble-seam bowling. So much so that in the 2025 World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa, one could hardly recall seam-up deliveries being bowled by pacers from either side.
In that context, how does Nabi look at the new trend? “Yes, if you have an extra skill in your bowling, it is always good. I am also trying to learn that because when the ball doesn’t swing, it is nice to have that as well,” he pointed out.
That, in brief, is Nabi’s swing-bowling story. But there is more to him than just befuddling batters in domestic cricket. Nabi comes from a family where hardly anyone played the game of leather and willow. And he also hails from Baramulla, Kashmir, not exactly known as a cricketing hub.
So how did Nabi’s talent blossom? “In my background, no one has played cricket. My uncle played a little bit. My father (Ghulam Nabi Dar) is a teacher. When I was growing up, I was good at studies,” he said. “A friend of mine was giving trials at JKCA. He didn’t get selected for Under-16s. He told me about these trials, and I got very interested. I took the trials for Under-19s.
“For the first few years, I didn’t get selected. In the last year of Under-19, I was picked for the Cooch Behar Trophy. I performed well there. Next year, I was selected for the Under-23s. In 2018, I played the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Then in 2019, I made my Ranji debut against Jharkhand.” He fondly recalls that debut: “I think it will be the five-for against Jharkhand, because it was my first match, playing for my state.”
The narrative of Nabi’s rise extends far beyond his non-sporting family background. It’s also about how he navigated the junior ranks despite limited facilities. At one point, his friend helped him by providing the basic equipment needed to play.
“The only thing I have suffered is because of lack of facilities. When I played Under-19s, I borrowed my shoes from a friend. He was also in the trials but wasn’t selected. His name is Moin Zubair. Then I played for the Under-19 team in his shoes. We have just one ground in Jammu and one in Kashmir.
“When Mithun (Manhas) sir took over (part of a BCCI-formed sub-committee), he worked a lot on infrastructure. We now have a lot of practice wickets in both Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, growing up, it was not there. In our district, where I live, there are still no facilities that a player needs,” he mentioned.
Nabi also credits Irfan Pathan and P. Krishnakumar, the current bowling coach, for guiding him. Incidentally, Irfan had played for Jammu and Kashmir as a player-cum-mentor. “When I played my first Ranji game, Irfan was our mentor. He helped me a lot with mental strength and bowling. He said, ‘Your action is good, don’t change anything.’
“We didn’t have a bowling coach for some years. JKCA then introduced our bowling coach, P. Krishnakumar, who has been with us for the last two years. That has also helped my bowling.”
For now, Nabi’s goal is simple, to steer his team to a historic maiden Ranji title. Last year, they were within touching distance of the semi-final, until Kerala’s last-wicket pair of Salman Nazir and Basil Thampi had other ideas. Their 81-run stand gave Kerala a lead of just one run, enough to push them through.
On his part, Nabi believes Jammu and Kashmir have a formidable pace attack. “Bowling has always been the strength of Jammu and Kashmir. Even earlier, there were fast bowlers,” he said. “I think our fast bowling is the best in the country right now. I think in the coming days, you will see more fast bowlers from Jammu and Kashmir playing for India and the IPL.
“We have been doing particularly well in the Ranji Trophy over the last three seasons. Last year, we were so close to qualifying for the semi-final, but luck was not in our favour. This year, I am confident we can go further and might surprise the cricketing world. We are confident we can do very well.”
Nabi’s skills aren’t restricted to pace bowling; he is also a handy lower-order contributor, with close to 1,000 runs in first-class cricket. Recently, in a match against Rajasthan, Nabi not only took seven wickets in the second innings but also showcased his batting ability.
In that match, Jammu and Kashmir were tottering at 81 for 5 in the first innings. “I did well both with my bowling and batting against Rajasthan. I scored 55 when my team was in a bit of trouble, and it felt very good. The wickets came at the right time, when my team needed them.
For now, Nabi’s focus is on taking Jammu and Kashmir as far as possible in domestic cricket. But what about the future, the IPL or perhaps the Indian team? Nabi kept his answer simple. “I went for trials with Delhi Capitals this year, and it went well. But I am currently focusing on playing for my team and doing well in the Ranji Trophy. I would love to play, but I am not thinking too far ahead,” he noted.
few glimpses of Nabi’s bowling are enough to gauge that he is a swing bowler of some pedigree. And perhaps the connection becomes clearer when he names his role model, one of the greatest exponents of the outswinger. “If you see Steyn’s bowling, everything is perfect,” he says. Nabi may not reach Steyn’s level of mastery, but he is certainly a bowler the national selectors should keep an eye on.
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