![Auqib Nabi castled Abhimanyu Easwaran [Source: @BCCIDomestic.x.com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1771144805618_AuqibNabiEaswaranRanjisemifinal.jpg?type=hq)
Auqib Nabi castled Abhimanyu Easwaran [Source: @BCCIDomestic.x.com]
Big games need big moments and Auqib Nabi delivered exactly that on Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 semi-final against Bengal. The right-arm quick steamed in with fire in his belly and rhythm in his run-up as he shattered the stumps of India’s biggest domestic prodigy Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Jammu and Kashmir won the toss and chose to bowl first, and while the first spell from Nabi went wicketless despite tight lines and probing lengths, you always felt something was brewing because he kept asking questions outside off stump and didn’t let Bengal batters settle into any comfort zone.
Auqib Nabi sends Easwaran packing with an absolute peach
Just when a steady partnership was starting to grow and Bengal looked ready to dig in, Nabi returned for another spell and produced a peach that any fast bowler would frame on his wall because it had pace, swing and perfect execution written all over it.
Charging in during the 30th over, Nabi bowled a full inswinger that jagged in sharply and went straight through Abhimanyu Easwaran’s defence before crashing into the off stump, sending the timber flying and the Jammu and Kashmir players into celebration mode while the Bengal skipper walked back after a gritty 49 off 96 balls.
Watch the video below:
And as the old cricketing saying goes, one wicket often brings another, Auqib Nabi kept his foot on the accelerator and struck again just a couple of overs later to remove Suraj Jaiswal for a duck.
At the time of writing, Bengal are 151/3 in 49 overs, trying to steady the ship after Auqib Nabi's double strike rocked their top order.
A season where Nabi can do no wrong
If there is one fast bowler who has been running through batting line-ups like a hot knife through butter this domestic season, it is Auqib Nabi. The numbers he has put up are not just impressive; they are downright jaw-dropping.
Ninety wickets in the last 29 innings tells you everything about his consistency and hunger, and right now in India’s domestic circuit there are barely any pacers who have stood out with such relentless impact in red-ball cricket.
His performances have been the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s historic run to their first-ever Ranji Trophy semi-final, and every time the team has needed a breakthrough, Auqib Nabi has stepped up like a leader with the ball.
Duleep Trophy and Ranji dominance
It’s not just the Ranji Trophy where Nabi has made batters dance to his tune, because even in the Duleep Trophy this season he picked up a five-wicket haul in the two matches he played for North Zone.
So far in this Ranji season, before the final, he had picked up 46 wickets in 14 innings, after grabbing 44 wickets in 15 innings last year, and currently sits as the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament.
India A and IPL doors knocking
With such consistency and match-winning spells, an India A call-up feels more like a matter of when rather than if, and many believe that a strong finish to this Ranji campaign could push Nabi firmly into the national conversation because Indian cricket always keeps an eye on bowlers who deliver season after season.
An IPL stint could fast-track that journey as well, and Nabi already has a big opportunity waiting after being snapped up by Delhi Capitals for INR 8.40 crore at the December auction.
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