Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi finally got his long-awaited India call-up on Monday, when the BCCI named him as the replacement for the injured Jasprit Bumrah in the Test squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, starting August 15. The 29-year-old seamer from Baramulla becomes only the second cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to earn a national team spot, after Parvez Rasool.
Nabi had missed out on selection for the recent series despite producing eye-catching performances in domestic cricket over the past two seasons, a run that also helped J&K script a historic Ranji Trophy triumph earlier this year.
Across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, Nabi has taken 104 wickets, including 60 scalps in the 2025-26 campaign alone. His consistency and wicket-taking ability made him one of the standout performers in Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden Ranji Trophy title-winning run. He was also part of the India A squad that toured Sri Lanka recently, where he picked up six wickets in two matches in Galle against Sri Lanka A.
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Bumrah’s absence is a major setback for India as they look to revive their World Test Championship hopes. India are currently fifth on the WTC table, and the two Tests against Sri Lanka carry added importance in the race for a final berth.
𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦:
Auqib Nabi replaces Jasprit Bumrah in India’s Test squad.
Details 🔽 #TeamIndia | #SLvIND https://t.co/lAf25FbpDN
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 3, 2026
According to The Indian Express, the injury at Cardiff worsened the knee problem Bumrah had been managing since the T20 World Cup. Although he had recovered well enough to play in the IPL, the setback in England aggravated the issue further.
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India’s updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka: Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi.
