Sourav Ganguly tells Ajit Agarkar, BCCI to consider Auqib Nabi for ‘national colours’: ‘England the place to start’

Sourav Ganguly believes the national call-up is just around the corner for Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi.

Updated on: Feb 27, 2026, 14:45:12 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Auqib Nabi, the Jammu and Kashmir pacer, is breaking down the door when it comes to selection for the national team. The 29-year-old took his seventh five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, as he helped his side take a first-innings lead in the summit clash against Karnataka at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground in Hubballi. Owing to this first innings lead, Jammu and Kashmir are now on the cusp of their maiden Ranji title, and if this happens, it would be a historic feat for the entire region.

Auqib Nabi took a fifer in the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka. (PTI)

Looking at Nabi's performance in the summit clash, former India captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly heaped praise. He told the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, to consider him for the national team. Dada stated that England would be the best place for Auqib to get a taste of the blue jersey.

Also Read: Karnataka vs Jammu & Kashmir Ranji Trophy Final Live Updates: Check our live coverage here

India are slated to tour England for a white-ball series in July 2026 and hence the Prince of Kolkata believes the time is ripe for Auqib to feature in the Indian squad.

“J&K has shown the world what effort and intent can do ..They have made that region so proud of them .. tuff environment makes tuff people. Aqib nabi on his way to national colours .. england is the place to start in the summer @bcci @imAagarkar @lonsaikia,” Ganguly wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The brilliance of Auqib Nabi can be judged by the fact that he made the ball talk on a pitch where Karnataka bowlers struggled and conceded 584 runs in the first innings. He was able to make the ball go away and also bring it in.

He returned with figures of 5/54 in 23 overs and dismissed India's Test batters KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, and Karun Nair. With this five-wicket haul, Nabi's wicket tally in the 2025-26 season rose to 60.

He is just the third pacer in the Ranji Trophy's 92-year history to claim 60 wickets in a single season. He also became the highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season.

Nabi's remarkable run

The latest five-wicket haul was Nabi's seventh of this season and 15th overall. The pacer has been remarkable of late, and he was also awarded with an Indian Premier League (IPL) gig after being picked by Delhi Capitals for INR 8.40 crore in the auction.

India are slated to travel to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series later this year and the side are also scheduled to fly down to New Zealand for a multi-format series. With such performances, Nabi has definitely thrown his hat into the ring for the Test call-up.

Speaking of the Ranji final, Jammu and Kashmir posted 584 in the first innings and the side then bundled out Karnataka for 293. The score would have been all the more lower had Mayank not played a knock of 160. His lone fight ensured that J&K had to toil hard for dismissing Karnataka.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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