‘I couldn’t believe it’: Auqib Nabi opens up on India call-up
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘I couldn’t believe it’: Auqib Nabi opens up on India call-up")
Auqib Nabi Photograph: (BCCI)
After years of waiting for an India call-up, Auqib Nabi received the news unexpectedly when a selector called him at the airport while he was heading to the CoE after being left out of the original Sri Lanka squad.
Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi has impressed with his consistent wicket-taking performances in domestic cricket over the past few years and earned an India call-up as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement after the star pacer was ruled out of the Sri Lanka series due to injury. The 29-year-old spoke about his surprise selection in a video released by the BCCI with Saransh Jain.
“I was at the airport. We had to go for a camp at CoE. I was about to board a flight to Bangalore. So, I got a call asking where I was. I told him that I was going to Bangalore; I was at the airport. He told me that you don’t have to go there, you have to come to Sri Lanka. You have been selected. At first, I couldn’t believe it. It was unexpected because the squad was already announced. I was like, I will work hard in the camp at CoE,” Nabi said.
The 29-year-old further admitted that he had expected an India call-up at some point, given his strong domestic record.
“Yes, I had expectations. But as a cricketer, you have to have the mindset that your job is to perform. I did think that I would get a call-up sooner or later. If you have been doing well for years, you have to get the fruits of your hard work. I used to bowl with the same mindset; my job is to take wickets and perform, and leave the rest to the Almighty. Now that my name has come up, I am very happy, and my family is also happy. There can’t be a bigger moment for me than this,” Nabi said.
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Nabi also got a chance to play in India’s warm-up game last week. He said sharing the dressing room and training alongside players he had watched on television was a special experience.
“The atmosphere was great. Sharing the dressing room with the people we see on TV, sharing the nets, was a big deal for me,” he added.
