Auqib Nabi’s rise has been nothing short of inspirational. Once borrowing spikes for trials, the 29-year-old fast bowler has now bagged an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract worth ₹8.40 crore at the mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
In a four-way battle, Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi was bagged by Delhi Capitals for a whopping ₹8.40 crore, which is 28 times more than his base price of ₹30 lakh. Nabi’s long-cherished dream is to open a cricket academy in Baramulla, where he can nurture more Auqib Nabis — and now he will have the money to fulfil it.
“I’d like to open an academy,” Nabi had earlier told TimesofIndia.com.
“There’s absolutely nothing here. When I started playing, I had to go to Bengaluru for training and played lower-division matches there. I want to find and train more Auqib Nabis from Baramulla,” he added.
Over the last few years, Nabi has been called by at least half a dozen IPL franchises for trials but never found a team. Interestingly, Delhi Capitals were interested in him last year and even called him for a trial, but he couldn’t attend due to a state camp.
“I’ve given trials for MI, RR, KKR, GT and SRH. Last year, DC called me but I couldn’t go. I want to play in the IPL — it will help me achieve my dream of starting an academy in Baramulla,” he said.
Aquib Nabi (Agency Image)
Auqib Nabi can swing the new ball and has also improved his skills with the older one. He was super impressive in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which followed an exceptional start to the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy. He was the only seamer among the top five wicket-takers in the first half of the season. His 29 wickets in nine innings included three five-fors and a stunning 7 for 24 against Rajasthan, helping J&K secure a knockouts berth.
Nabi has picked up 15 wickets in seven matches so far in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) at an economy rate of 7.41. In his most recent outing earlier this week against Madhya Pradesh, he contributed a cameo of 32 off 21 balls to help set up a defendable total, before returning with a crucial three-wicket haul to seal the game for J&K.
In the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, he picked up 44 wickets in eight matches — the second-most in the season. His performances helped Jammu and Kashmir qualify for the quarterfinals, where Kerala edged them out on a one-run first-innings lead.
Auqib Nabi Dar
Nabi’s father, Gulam Nabi Dar, is an English teacher in a government school in Baramulla.
“I was good in studies, and my father’s dream was that I would become a doctor,” recalls Nabi.
“I used to play tennis-ball cricket for fun. I had a friend who went for a JKCA trial but wasn’t selected. I was never that interested in cricket. He insisted, and when he told me stories about the camps, it intrigued me. I went for the trials but wasn’t selected for two or three years.
“In 2016, my last U-19 year, I finally got picked — not for the one-dayers, but for the four-day matches. When I played the Cooch Behar Trophy, I made up my mind that this is what I wanted to do. Then I played two or three years in U-23 cricket before making my Ranji Trophy debut in 2020,” he says.
Gulam Nabi Dar wanted to see his son in whites — but not the ones Auqib chose.
“My father used to tell me that studies were important. I was good at them too. He was really upset when I started playing cricket. After I got picked for U-19, he began supporting me. Before that, he was against it. Now he’s my biggest fan,” says Nabi.
Jammu and Kashmir's Auqib Nabi, right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Bihar's Vaibhav Suryavanshi during a Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy 2025 cricket match between Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir, at the Eden Gardens, in Kolkata. (PTI Photo)
Nabi recalls an interesting story from his first trial. When he reached Jammu, he realised he needed spikes to bowl.
“I was shell-shocked. I was wearing sports shoes worth ₹500,” he reminisces.
“Then I borrowed spikes from a senior player. When I got picked for U-19, I borrowed spikes from a friend who had already played U-19 for J&K. He gave me a spare pair,” he adds.
From his first match fee, Nabi bought his own pair of spikes — which he still treasures.
“They’ll stay in my house till my last breath. Those shoes were the first step towards a big dream,” he says.
Nabi wants to play for India, and given the way he is taking wickets, the “Dale Steyn of Baramulla” may not be far from an India call-up.
“When I started taking cricket seriously, my sole aim was to represent India — to represent my country. Coming from Baramulla, even thinking about playing for your country is a big thing. You don’t have role models.
“Now, my only goal is to play for India. Nothing else. I’ll keep working hard to achieve that,” he says.
During the Duleep Trophy, when he picked up a five-for for North Zone, his fast-bowling partners Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana boosted his confidence.
“The duo kept telling me, ‘Paji, kaafi achha kar rahe ho, lage raho aap (You’re doing really well, keep it up).’ I loved playing with them,” he says.
Recently, in the first round of the Ranji Trophy against Mumbai, Nabi received a pat on the back from selector Ajay Ratra, who was present at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium.
“When I picked up five wickets in the second innings, I met Ajay sir at the team hotel, and he appreciated my bowling,” says Nabi.
Despite all the accolades and attention, the Baramulla boy remains grounded. He believes in destiny and hard work.
“Whatever is written for you, you’ll get it. Main mehnat kar sakta hoon, baaki Allah dekh lenge (I can only work hard; the rest is in God’s hands),” he says.
“For me, it all started with gully cricket. We never had any proper ground. Now there are a couple, but back then there was absolutely nothing. I didn’t even know that a fast bowler needed spikes. I never thought I’d come this far. I’m just blessed,” he adds.
“The main change I made was in my mindset. I started believing in myself. I stopped thinking about results. I focused more on the process, and the rest took care of itself.”