Auqib Nabi replaces injured Jasprit Bumrah in India's Test squad for Sri Lanka series
Mumbai, August 3
Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi has received his maiden call-up to the senior national side after being named as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
Bumrah has been ruled out of the series as he has not fully recovered from the left knee injury he sustained during the ODI series against England.
The Men's Selection Committee has included Nabi in the squad as Bumrah's replacement. The 27-year-old pacer has impressed with his performances in domestic cricket, claiming 104 wickets across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, including 60 wickets during the 2025-26 campaign.
Nabi played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir's maiden Ranji Trophy triumph. He was also part of the India A squad that recently toured Sri Lanka, where he picked up six wickets in two first-class matches.
In First-Class cricket, Auqib has played 43 matches and 71 innings, taking 162 wickets at an average of 18.63 and a strike rate of 38.5. He has claimed 16 five-wicket hauls and four 10-wicket hauls.
India are also dealing with several injury concerns, with Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy sidelined by hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively. Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the first Test due to a hamstring injury, while Akash Deep remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from stress reactions in his back.
The opening Test between India and Sri Lanka will be played at the Galle International Stadium from August 15, while the second Test is scheduled at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo from August 23. Both matches are scheduled to start at 10:00 AM IST.
The series will form part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Led by Shubman Gill, India are currently fifth in the World Test Championship standings, having registered four wins and four losses in nine matches, with a Points Percentage (PCT) of 48.150.
India's updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka is: 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.
*Subject to fitness clearance.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Bumrah's absence is a huge blow, no doubt. But I'm excited to see what Nabi brings to the table. His strike rate of 38.5 is phenomenal. Also good to see the bench strength improving. However, I hope the management doesn't rush him; debut at Galle can be tricky.
Nice to see talent from the north getting a chance. The Ranji Trophy really is the bedrock of Indian cricket. Wishing Auqib all the best! Hopefully he can fill the void left by Bumrah, at least partially.
Respect to Bumrah for taking the time to recover properly. It's better to miss one series than risk a long-term injury. Meanwhile, this is a golden opportunity for Nabi. The selectors are clearly rewarding domestic performance, which is the right way to go.
All the injury talk is concerning. Bumrah, Harshit, Nitish, Washington... it's a long list. But it's also a test of our squad depth. I'm a bit skeptical about the pace attack for the Galle Test, but let's trust the process. Shubman Gill needs to lead well.
Wow, 104 wickets in two seasons! That's incredible consistency. Auqib Nabi's numbers are seriously impressive. It's refreshing to see the selectors look beyond the usual big names and pick someone based on pure merit. Congrats to him and J&K cricket!
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