'Made the entire region proud': Sourav Ganguly urges selectors to consider J&K’s Auqib Nabi for India call-up

Jammu & Kashmir moved closer to their maiden Ranji Trophy title after bowling out Karnataka for 293 in the first innings and taking a commanding 291-run lead. The hero with the ball was Auqib Nabi Dar, as he took five wickets for 54 runs in 23 overs and led his team’s attack in the final. The fast bowler has now taken 60 wickets this season and many people believe he deserves a chance to play for India.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly also praised him and applauded his team (Jammu & Kashmir) for their effort and said Nabi should be picked for India’s white-ball tour of England in July. He wrote on X that tough conditions create strong people and that England would be a good place for Nabi to begin his international career.

“J&K has shown the world what effort and intent can do ..They have made that region so proud of them .. tuff environment makes tuff people. Aqib nabi on his way to national colours .. england is the place to start in the summer,” Ganguly wrote on X on Friday.

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India will travel to England in July to play five T20 matches and three ODI matches. The ODI series will also see the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who last played for India in January.

Nabi will also play for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming Indian Premier League season, as he was bought at the auction in December, last year, for INR 8.40 crore. The team is owned by the GMR Group and the JSW Group, with Ganguly linked to the JSW ownership.

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Earlier this year, Ganguly began his first coaching role with Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 tournament and his team finished second after losing the final to Sunrisers Eastern Cape by six wickets.

At Delhi Capitals, Nabi will share the dressing room with top fast bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Lungisani Ngidi and T. Natarajan. This will give him a great chance to learn from one of the best fast bowlers in modern cricket.