New Delhi. Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Aaqib Nabi has knocked loudly on the doors of Indian selectors with his fiery balls in the biggest stage of domestic cricket, Ranji Trophy 2025-26. By taking 55 wickets in 9 matches so far this season, he has not only created a new record for Jammu and Kashmir but has also created a stir in red-ball cricket across the country.
This is the second consecutive Ranji season when Aaqib Nabi has attracted everyone’s attention by taking more than 40 wickets. Before the semi-final match against Bengal, Aaqib had 46 wickets in his name and in this important match, he took 9 wickets and took the number of dismissals of batsmen to 55.
Aaqib Nabi: The new ‘Sultan’ of domestic cricket
When we talk about swing and accurate line-length in Indian cricket, Mohammed Shami’s name often comes at the top but this time the performance that Aaqib Nabi has performed in front of Shami by entering Shami’s house has forced the world to say “If not Shami then listen to Nabi”. While Mohammed Shami took 8 wickets in the Ranji Trophy semi-finals, Nabi dashed Bengal’s hopes by taking a total of 9 wickets in the match and scoring an important 42 runs with the bat.
Aaqib Nabi’s magical journey this season:
Total wickets: 55 wickets (highest so far)
Bowling average: 12.72 (incredible consistency)
Pfeifer (5-wicket haul): 6 times (most in the season)
Best performance: 12/110 (in the quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh, which took J&K into the semi-finals for the first time)
A pile of records and the right time to hit the ‘hammer’
This season, Aaqib Nabi has achieved the distinction of taking the most wickets in a season for Jammu and Kashmir by breaking the record of former Indian cricketer Parvez Rasool. His abilities are not limited to just taking wickets; In the Duleep Trophy, he created history by taking 4 wickets in 4 balls, which shows his deadly swing and hunger to take wickets. Not only this, Aaqib Nabi’s excellent form was also rewarded in the IPL 2026 auction, where Delhi Capitals bought him for a huge amount of ₹ 8.40 crore.
Strong message for selectors
The saying “The iron is hot, hit it with a hammer” fits perfectly with the current career of Aaqib Nabi. This 29-year-old bowler maintains the same seam and wrist position in his bowling for which Shami is known. He has the amazing art of swinging the ball both ways at a speed of 125-130 km/hr. When the Indian Test team is looking for future fast bowlers, there is currently no better option than Aaqib Nabi. Taking more than 40 wickets in two consecutive seasons in domestic cricket (44 wickets in 2024-25 and 55 wickets so far in 2025-26) is no coincidence, but a testament to his hard work and world-class skills.
Aaqib Nabi has done his job and he has created a stir with the red ball which is impossible to ignore. Now the ball is in the selection committee’s court; It remains to be seen whether they hit this ‘iron’ in time or another diamond will remain buried in the dust of domestic cricket.