Those performances earned him an IPL contract with Delhi Capitals and an India A call-up for the tour of Sri Lanka, where he claimed six wickets in two four-day matches.
His performances had put him firmly in the conversation. The selectors, however, looked elsewhere.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who has closely followed Nabi’s rise and played a key role in shaping his domestic career, admitted he was left puzzled by the selectors’ decision.
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“I honestly don’t have any logical answer for Nabi not being picked,” Pathan told Sportstar.
The former India fast bowler believes India missed the ideal opportunity to hand Nabi his debut during the one-off Test against Afghanistan, where the Jammu & Kashmir pacer was part of the group as a back-up net bowler.
“I didn’t understand the selection process. Mohammad Siraj is your go-to bowler. When (Jasprit) Bumrah is not there, Siraj becomes your No.1 bowler. So, what was the need to play against Afghanistan in a Test that wasn’t even part of the World Test Championship,” Pathan said, adding: “If domestic performances matter, why didn’t you reward Auqib? That was the best opportunity to play him and test him at that level…”
In the New Chandigarh Test, Siraj bowled 13 overs and picked up one wicket, while left-arm spinner Manav Suthar finished with seven wickets in the match.
Pathan also dismissed the argument that pace alone should determine a fast bowler’s credentials.
“People talk about pace, but you’ve got to see how a bowler is beating the bat. Is he troubling the best batters in domestic cricket? He has done that consistently. Even in the final of the Ranji Trophy, he troubled senior batters like K.L. Rahul and everyone saw that. So, his performances deserved a reward,” Pathan said.
Having spent over a decade leading India’s pace attack, Pathan believes timing is crucial in a fast bowler’s career.
“The more you delay a fast bowler’s peak, the more you are going to lose out on him. Fast bowlers are at their peak between 27 and 32. You don’t want to miss that window, especially when someone is in rhythm,” he said.
Nabi will turn 30 in November.
Pathan also questioned the message such decisions send to domestic cricketers.
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“What signal are we sending to domestic cricketers? Saransh Jain getting picked on the back of domestic performances is fantastic. It tells domestic cricketers that performances will be rewarded. He’s 33 and got rewarded for four or five years of consistent performances. But then, what’s wrong with Auqib? He has performed consistently too, and as a fast bowler there are even more opportunities because pacers get injured more often, so a back-up always helps…”
Pathan also pointed to Nabi’s familiarity with Sri Lankan conditions following the India A tour and argued that his pace should not be viewed as a drawback.
“During the IPL, he was bowling at 133-135 kph. If a bowler can swing the ball late at that pace, why is that not enough? He’s even capable of batting at No. 8 or 9. I’m still trying to find the logic behind this decision,” he said.
For now, Nabi returns to the domestic circuit, still waiting for the opportunity many believed had finally arrived.
Published on Jul 29, 2026
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