The Auqib Nabi story: Father wanted him to be a doctor but ‘qismat’ had other plans for Dale Steyn of Baramulla | Cricket News
New Delhi: Growing up in a curfew-stricken Baramulla, Auqib Nabi’s pastime was imitating Dale Steyn’s bowling action. He calls the South African legend a “khoobsurat gendbaaz (beautiful bowler).”“Growing up, he was my idol. I loved his action and his wicket celebrations. I used to watch Dale Steyn’s bowling a lot. Everything about his bowling was poetry,” Nabi tells TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
The 28-year-old is making waves with the red ball in India’s domestic circuit. In the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, he picked up 44 wickets in eight matches — the second-most in the season. His performance helped Jammu and Kashmir qualify for the quarterfinals, where Kerala edged them by a one-run first-innings lead.Nabi has started the 2025-26 season exactly where he left off last year. He has already picked 17 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. Against Mumbai, his notable wickets included Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan (twice), and centurion Siddhesh Lad. Against Rajasthan, he wreaked havoc, taking seven for 24 in the second innings, including a ten-wicket match haul. He removed Rajasthan’s top six in his opening burst.“I believe we can win the Ranji Trophy this season,” the lanky J&K pacer said in a bold claim.“We have all the ingredients required for a champion team. We have the best bowling attack in the country. All the bowlers and all-rounders are doing well. Even after losing five wickets, we’ve managed to add 100–150 runs. I think we can go all the way this time,” he adds.Last season, J&K missed out from progressing by the narrowest margin possible. The 81-run stand between Kerala’s M Nidheesh and Basil Thampi, which eclipsed Jammu and Kashmir’s first-innings total of 280 by just one run, still gives Nabi sleepless nights.“It was sheer bad luck. I will never forget that match, I will never forget that partnership. Waah re qismat (What luck!)” laughs Nabi.‘Change in Qismat’
In the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, Auqib Nabi picked up 44 wickets in eight matches — the second-most in the season. (PTI File Photo)
Before the start of the 2024-25 season, Nabi had 46 wickets in 20 matches.The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) kept giving him chances despite not having the desired results. It was all because of Irfan Pathan, the former India all-rounder, who joined J&K in a player-cum-mentor role and, before leaving, wrote a mail to JKCA asking the association to invest in Nabi.“When I started bowling, I used to bowl outswing. Then I thought I needed to work on inswing as well. While doing so, I lost my outswing but my inswing improved.“After a couple more seasons, I thought aisa nahi chalega (it can’t go like this). I needed to move the ball both ways. I started working on my wrist position and on what length to hit. To be honest, I’ve kept things simple for the past 1–2 years. Now, I have good control over both swings. That’s why I’m getting more wickets,” he laughs.“When I started playing age-group cricket, we never had bowling coaches. Even growing up, I never had anyone to teach me. When I made my Ranji Trophy debut, we had Irfan Pathan with us. He gave me a lot of useful tips related to bowling. He was the first one who told me to work on my wrist and not change anything. After he left, we didn’t have any bowling coach. We were on our own. For the past two years, we’ve had P. Krishna Kumar as our bowling coach. After he came, I got a lot of help, and it’s showing in my bowling,” he adds.A late bloomer
Auqib Nabi has started the 2025-26 season with 17 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. (PTI)
Nabi’s father, Gulam Nabi Dar, is an English teacher in a government school in Baramulla. “I was good in studies, and my father’s dream was that I would become a doctor,” recollects Nabi.“I used to play tennis-ball cricket for fun. I had a friend who went for a JKCA trial but wasn’t selected. I was never that interested in cricket. He insisted, and when he told me stories of the camps, it interested me. I went for the trials but wasn’t selected for 2–3 years.“In 2016, my last U-19 year, I finally got picked — not for the one-dayers, but for the four-day matches. When I played the Cooch Behar Trophy, I made up my mind that this is what I want to do. Then I played two or three years in U-23 before making my Ranji Trophy debut in 2020,” he says.Gulam Nabi Dar wanted to see his son in whites — but not the ones Auqib chose.“My father used to tell me that studies were important. I was good at them too. He was really upset when I started playing cricket. After I got picked for U-19, he began supporting me. Before that, he was against it. Now he’s my biggest fan,” says Nabi.The Parvez Rasool impact
File photo of Parvez Rasool.
The dream of playing for India first took shape in Nabi’s mind when he saw fellow Kashmiri Parvez Rasool make his India debut.“During the national anthem, I had goosebumps. Seeing Parvez bhai wearing India blue made me emotional. The moment inspired me because he was one of us,” says a proud Nabi.Rasool recently announced his retirement from international cricket.“Mai jahaan se aata hoon, wahaan se nikal ke kabhi is level pe cricket khelunga, yeh nahi socha tha maine (Where I come from, I never thought I’d make it this far and play cricket at this level). Parvez bhai playing for India and getting picked in the IPL was huge for me — you can say a turning point. Suddenly, I had someone to look up to,” he says.Borrowed spikes, one dream
Auqib Nabi wants to play for India, and the way he is taking wickets, the “Dale Steyn of Baramulla” may not be far from an India call-up. (PTI)
Nabi reveals an interesting story about his first trial. When he reached Jammu, he found out he needed spikes to bowl.“I was shocked. I was wearing sports shoes worth Rs. 500,” he reminisces. “Then I borrowed spikes from a senior player. When I got picked for U-19, I borrowed spikes from a friend who had already played U-19 for J&K. He gave me a spare pair,” he adds.From his first match fee, Nabi bought his first pair of spikes — which he still treasures.“They’ll stay in my house till my last breath. Those shoes were the first step toward a big dream,” he says.Nabi wants to play for India, and the way he is taking wickets, the “Dale Steyn of Baramulla” may not be far from an India call-up.“When I started taking cricket seriously, my sole aim was to represent India — to represent my country. Coming from Baramulla, even thinking about playing for your country is a big thing. You don’t have role models.“Now, my only goal is to play for India. Nothing else. I’ll keep working hard to achieve that,” he says.During the Duleep Trophy, when he picked up a fifer for North Zone, his fast-bowling partners Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana boosted his confidence.“The duo kept telling me, ‘Paji, kaafi achha kar rahe ho, lage raho aap (You’re doing really well, keep it up).’ I loved playing with them,” he says.Recently, in the first round of the Ranji Trophy against Mumbai, Nabi received a tap on the back from selector Ajay Ratra, who was at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium for the match.“When I picked up five wickets in the second innings, I met Ajay sir in the team hotel, and he appreciated my bowling,” says Nabi.Destiny bound
Barring playing for India, Nabi’s distant dream is to open a cricket academy in Baramulla, where he can nurture more Auqibs. (PTI)
Despite all the accolades and attention, the Baramulla boy remains grounded. He believes in destiny and hard work.“Whatever is written for you, you’ll get it. Main mehnat kar sakta hoon, baaki Allah dekh lenge (I can only work hard; the rest is in God’s hands),” he says.“For me, it all started with gully cricket. We never had any proper ground. Now there are a couple, but back then there was absolutely nothing. I didn’t even know that a fast bowler needed spikes. I never thought I’d come this far. I’m just blessed,” he says.“The main change I made was in my mindset. I started believing in myself. I stopped thinking about the results. I focused more on the process, and the rest took care of itself.”Barring playing for India, Nabi’s distant dream is to open a cricket academy in Baramulla, where he can nurture more Auqibs.“I’d like to open an academy. There’s absolutely nothing here. When I started playing, I had to go to Bengaluru for training and played lower-division matches there. I want to find and train more Auqib Nabis from Baramulla,” he says.In the past few years, Nabi has been called by at least half a dozen IPL franchises for trials but is yet to find a team.“I’ve given trials for MI (Mumbai Indians), RR (Rajasthan Royals), KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders), GT (Gujarat Titans), and SRH (Sunrisers Hyderabad). Last year, DC (Delhi Capitals) called me but I couldn’t go. I want to play in the IPL — it will help me achieve my dream of starting an academy in Baramulla,” he says.It has been a long journey for Nabi, and the road ahead is just as long. But the “Dale Steyn of Baramulla” knows the value of patience and perseverance — and that he’s getting closer to his dream.
