The BCCI has named right-arm pacer Auqib Nabi as a back-up player for India’s upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, according to a report in India Today.
India are scheduled to take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test match in Mullanpur, starting from 6 June.
The Jammu & Kashmir pacer was a notable omission from the India squad for the Test match against Afghanistan, especially after the kind of performance he produced in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, where Jammu & Kashmir emerged victorious.
Nabi finished the Ranji Trophy season with 60 wickets from 17 innings at an average of 12.56 and an economy rate of 2.65. He also took as many as seven five-wicket hauls. He was named the Player of the Tournament for his heroics. Across the last two editions of the Ranji Trophy, Nabi already has 104 wickets.
The BCCI decided to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the Test match against Afghanistan, whereas Akash Deep and Harshit Rana are injured. Nabi was expected to receive a maiden call-up to the Indian senior team, but the selectors instead went with Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar.
“At this point, we have gone with the three that we have picked. But there was certainly a chat around that. There is no doubt. He [Nabi] has had some incredible performances for Jammu & Kashmir,” BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said.
Auqib Nabi’s First-Class, List A and T20 statistics
The 29-year-old has played 41 First-Class matches and has taken 156 wickets at an average of 18.37 and an economy rate of 2.89. As far as Nabi’s List A career is concerned, he has taken 56 wickets from 36 matches at an average of 27.37 and an economy rate of 5.20. He has also played 39 T20s, taking 43 wickets at an average of 25.27 and an economy rate of 8.10.
During the IPL 2026 mini-auction, Delhi Capitals (DC) had acquired Nabi for ₹8.40 crore. However, he played just five matches and failed to take a single wicket.
Nabi’s omission from the main squad initially was met with criticism, with former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar one of them to criticise. “I used to like the olden days when tremendous injustice was done. People would come out on the streets with placards and protests,” Manjrekar said on Sportstar’s Inside Edge podcast in May. Now the outcry is mostly on social media, but this is one non-selection that I just can’t understand,” he had added.
Manjrekar went on to term the move as a “ridiculous” one. “It’s actually ridiculous. When Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are not playing, whether because they are being rested or for long-term planning, then you might as well not have the Ranji Trophy if performances like these are going to be ignored,” he explained.
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