Auqib Nabi, the Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler, has earned his maiden India call-up after being named as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka. Bumrah was ruled out after failing to recover fully from the left knee injury he sustained during the ODI series against England.
The 29-year-old Nabi has forced his way into the senior side on the back of two outstanding Ranji Trophy seasons, claiming 104 wickets, including 60 in the 2025-26 campaign when he played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir lifting their maiden Ranji Trophy title. Nabi’s performances also earned him a place in the India A squad for the recent tour of Sri Lanka. The right-arm seamer picked up six wickets in the two four-day matches against Sri Lanka A, including figures of 4 for 58 in the first innings of the opening game.
Bumrah, meanwhile, continues to be sidelined after the injury he suffered during the second ODI against England last month. The premier fast bowler had been included in India’s squad for the Sri Lanka series subject to clearing a fitness assessment at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, but he has not recovered in time. The latest setback further delays Bumrah’s return to Test cricket after his workload had already been carefully managed following the back injury he suffered during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
He featured in only three of the five Tests in England last year before being rested for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June. India’s squad for the Sri Lanka series is led by Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul serving as vice-captain. Sai Sudharsan remains part of the squad, subject to fitness clearance.
Updated India squad: Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), 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, Auqib Nabi
