Auqib Nabi earns maiden India Test call-up to replace Jasprit Bumrah

Auqib Nabi earns maiden India Test call-up to replace Jasprit Bumrah

Auqib Nabi, the Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler, has received his first senior national team call-up as a replacement for Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The BCCI announced the change on Monday, confirming that Bumrah will miss the series due to a left knee injury.

The 31-year-old Bumrah sustained the injury during an ODI series against England. While he was initially included in the squad subject to a fitness assessment at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, he failed to recover in time. Reports indicate Bumrah had experienced knee swelling and missed an ODI at Lord's, and though he was deemed fit for the Tests, he complained of pain during further inspection. This is a recurring issue for the bowler, who has managed the injury since the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

Bumrah's absence follows a period of careful workload management after a back injury during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Last year, he appeared in three of five Tests in England and was rested for a one-off Test against Afghanistan in June.

The 29-year-old Nabi, a right-arm seamer and Delhi Capitals player, has forced his way into the squad through dominant domestic performances. He claimed 104 wickets over the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, including 60 wickets in the 2025-26 campaign. Nabi was the top wicket-taker in the 2025-26 edition and played a central role in Jammu and Kashmir winning their first-ever Ranji Trophy title, recording seven five-wicket hauls in 10 games.

Nabi's selection follows a recent stint with the India A squad in Sri Lanka last month. In two four-day matches against Sri Lanka A in Galle, he took six wickets, including figures of 4 for 58 in the first innings of the opening game. Despite these exploits, Nabi was previously overlooked for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June 2026, though he served as a backup net bowler and a late stand-by for that match.

Nabi's call-up is a historical milestone for his region. While Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik were previously selected for India's white-ball squads, Nabi is the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to be picked for the men's Test team. The Baramulla bowler has recorded 162 wickets in 43 first-class games. He also participated in five games during IPL 2026 with the Delhi Capitals, though he did not take a wicket in those appearances.

India enters the series with several injury concerns. Along with Bumrah, the team is without Harshit Rana (hamstring), Nitish Kumar Reddy (quad), and Washington Sundar (hamstring). Sai Sudharsan remains in the squad but is seeking fitness clearance for a toe injury.

The series is part of the World Test Championship, where India currently sits fifth with a points percentage of 48.15, and Sri Lanka occupies sixth with 41.67. India's recent cycle includes a 2-2 draw against England, a sweep of the West Indies at home, and a 0-2 series defeat to South Africa. Sri Lanka has defeated Bangladesh 1-0 at home and lost 0-1 away to the West Indies.

Nabi, who had been practicing at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, will travel to Mumbai to join the squad before departing for Colombo on Tuesday.

India's Updated Squad

• Shubman Gill (Captain)
• KL Rahul (Vice-Captain)
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Rishabh Pant (WK)
• Sai Sudharsan (fitness pending)
• Dhruv Jurel (WK)
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Manav Suthar
• Mohammed Siraj
• Prasidh Krishna
• Gurnoor Brar
• Devdutt Padikkal
• Saransh Jain
• Auqib Nabi

The two-match series begins in Galle from August 15-19, followed by the second Test in Colombo from August 23-27.