Auqib Nabi will reportedly make his debut during the first Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday, August 15. Notably, the Men in Blue under the leadership of Shubman Gill are touring Sri Lanka for a two-game Test series set to begin tomorrow. While Nabi didn’t receive an early call-up for the series, he was included in the squad to replace star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The star spearhead couldn’t recover from his knee injury sustained during the ODI series against England.
While his injury came as a setback for the Indian side who are in dire need of winning the forthcoming series, it gave Nabi his long-awaited maiden National call-up. Earlier in the Warm-Up game, Nabi couldn’t pick a wicket, but he displayed good bowling prowess by conceding only 27 runs in the second innings in five overs. Now, as per reports, the 29-year-old is set to don national colours and take the field in the first game. Sources suggest that Nabi could make his India debut on Saturday with the onset of the series.
Auqib Nabi Reflects on Receiving India Call-Up
The Jammu and Kashmir pacer who has taken the storm in domestic cricket for the last few years reflected on the moment when he received the India call-up. He revealed that he was at the airport, leaving for the Centre of Excellence and was just about to board his flight. “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 said in a video posted by BCCI.
He added, “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.”
He went on to say, “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.”
