Kashmir Bowler Auqib Nabi Wins Ranji Trophy at 29

When Auqib Nabi was a kid in Baramulla, Kashmir, the cricket fields were so rough that fast bowlers couldn't even wear spikes without ruining the wicket. So he learned his craft with tennis balls, studying videos of Dale Steyn and Zaheer Khan, perfecting his wrist action on unforgiving ground.

His father, a government teacher, initially wanted him to become a doctor. Auqib was getting excellent grades in school, and medicine seemed like the practical path.

But everything changed the day Auqib scored a century against Saurashtra in youth cricket. Local reporters showed up at their home, and his father made a bold declaration: "Mera nechu India khelke aaega. Aap likho." (My son will play for India one day. You write that down.)

This week, that prophecy moved one giant step closer to reality. At 29 years old, Auqib led Jammu & Kashmir to their historic maiden Ranji Trophy title, India's premier domestic cricket championship.

The numbers tell an extraordinary story. Auqib has taken five wickets in every single knockout match he's played across two seasons, finishing with 104 wickets and 12 five-wicket hauls over just two years.

His journey wasn't easy. He spent years learning how to bowl with a leather cricket ball after growing up only playing tennis ball cricket. The transition to professional red-ball cricket took patience and practice.

IPL franchises ignored him completely at auctions, not even considering the bowler from Kashmir. India A selectors overlooked him repeatedly despite his mounting wicket totals. Injuries and limited facilities in his development years could have ended his dream.

Instead, his teammates at Baramulla Cricket Club gave him advice that shaped his career: "Work in silence. Never talk back. Show them what you are when playing, because nobody can stop you on the run-up."

Why This Inspires

Auqib's story resonates because he succeeded without the advantages most professional cricketers take for granted. While others trained on pristine pitches with proper equipment from childhood, he was inventing ways to bowl fast without spikes, teaching himself technique from YouTube videos.

His patience stands out in an era of instant gratification. At 29, when many cricketers are considering retirement, he's just hitting his peak. This year, the Delhi Capitals finally signed him to an IPL contract, and he earned selection to the North Zone team.

Coach Pudiyangum Krishnakumar believed in him when critics said his bowling speed of 130-135 kmph wasn't enough for the highest levels. The coach saw something others missed: skills so refined that pure speed became secondary.

Back in Baramulla, locals still remember watching teenage Auqib bowl in trials. Word spread about the prodigious talent who didn't need blazing speed to demolish batting lineups. His cutters were described as exquisite. Crowds came just to watch him bowl.

His neighbor Shaikh Gulzar, a textiles merchant, now works 11 months a year so he can take one month off to follow the Jammu & Kashmir team. He sits in the stands at matches, listening for the code word the Kashmir players hiss when Auqib is about to bowl his deadly yorker: "khhauw-raas."

The stumps do the singing after that.