Srinagar: In a display of raw pace and all-round brilliance, Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi turned the Ranji Trophy 2025 into his personal fiefdom, claiming a staggering 10-wicket match haul to demolish Rajasthan by an innings and 41 runs at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium here on Monday.
The 28-year-old pacer from Baramulla, clocking speeds up to 131 kmph, didn’t just bowl fire — he batted with equal gusto, smashing a gritty 55 off 65 balls to anchor his side’s innings.
The carnage began on Day 1 when J&K’s seamers, led by Nabi’s 3/29 and Sunil Kumar’s 4/32, skittled Rajasthan for a paltry 152. Responding with flair, the hosts piled up 282, courtesy half-centuries from Yudhvir Singh (53) and Nabi, who laced eight fours and two sixes in a lower-order riposte that gave them a commanding 130-run lead. But it was Nabi’s second-innings sorcery — 7/24 in just 12 overs — that sealed the deal. Rajasthan’s batsmen crumbled like a house of cards, folding for 89 as five returned to the pavilion without troubling the scorers. Deepak Hooda top-scored with a forlorn 28, but Nabi’s lethal swing and seam movement left them shell-shocked.
This emphatic three-day triumph catapults J&K to the top of Elite Group D with seven points; their next challenge is against Chhattisgarh on November 1. For Nabi, overlooked for the India A squad despite a stellar Duleep Trophy (6 wickets) and last season’s 44 Ranji scalps, it’s a resounding statement. “I’m just focusing on red-ball craft, not just speed,” he said post-match, his figures now boasting 17 wickets at an average of 9.25 this campaign.
Whispers in the dressing room already dub him Team India’s budding Hardik Pandya — a versatile all-rounder with express pace and big-hitting nous. As selectors take note, Kashmir’s “silent strike weapon” is no longer knocking; he’s breaking down doors. With Umran Malik’s comeback muted in the same match, Nabi’s star burns brightest, heralding a new era for J&K cricket.