Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi has received his maiden India call-up after replacing the injured Jasprit Bumrah in the squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Bumrah, who was initially named in the squad, has been ruled out after failing to recover fully from the left knee injury he sustained during the ODI series against England.
Historic Milestone For Nabi
The 29-year-old becomes the first cricketer from the Kashmir Valley to be selected in India’s Test squad and only the third player from Jammu and Kashmir to earn a senior India call-up after Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik, both of whom represented India in limited-overs cricket.
Hailing from a remote village in Baramulla, Nabi impressed with 104 wickets across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, including 60 wickets in the 2025-26 campaign as he played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden Ranji Trophy triumph. He also contributed with the bat throughout the season.
Nabi further strengthened his case during India A’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, claiming six wickets in two first-class matches.
Bumrah Ruled Out
Bumrah’s knee swelling was found to be more serious than initially expected, with the Sports Science team at the BCCI Centre of Excellence opting against rushing the premier fast bowler back to international cricket ahead of a demanding schedule.
The 32-year-old had already missed the third ODI against England at Lord’s after suffering the injury.
Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan’s participation in the series remains subject to fitness clearance as he continues his recovery from a foot injury sustained during the recent India A tour of Sri Lanka.
The two-match Test series begins on August 15 in Galle.
India squad: 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 and Auqib Nabi.
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