He picked four wickets in four balls in the Duleep Trophy.
Four wickets in four balls is not the kind of feat which is achieved every day. And Auqib Nabi, a pacer from Jammu & Kashmir, has bagged a hat-trick in the ongoing Duleep Trophy against the East Zone. The bowler was in scintillating form and broke the back of the lower middle-order of the East Zone. The North Zone stands in a firm position after the end of play on the second day.
After winning the toss, East Zone skipper Riyan Parag elected to field first. Despite none of the batters getting to the three-figure mark, the North Zone side were able to get to a sturdy total of 405. Ayush Badoni and Kanhaiya Wadhawan top-scored in the first innings with 63 and 76, respectively. But it was Auqib Nabi who added 44 runs in 33 deliveries, to put a cherry on the top.
Nabi’s innings comprised five boundaries and two sixes on his road to 44. His knock propelled the North Zone over the 400-run mark. To add to that, he also bagged a five-wicket haul in the first innings which helped his team inflict a 175-run lead on the East Zone. As a result, the North Zone side are in the driver’s seat in the ongoing contest.
The fact that Nabi got four wickets in as many deliveries does not come as a surprise. For a long time now, he has been one of the most instrumental forces in the Jammu & Kashmir domestic setup. In 29 First-class games, he has picked up 90 wickets at an economy of 2.98. An economy under three speaks volumes of the control the bowler possesses. In his List A career, he has managed 42 wickets in 29 matches.
One thing which separates him from the rest is the simple bowling action. Nabi showcases an extremely aligned bowling action, right from his run-up to his release. To add to that, he can bowl a bouncer at will – something he has done regularly to scalp wickets in the Ranji Trophy.
An impressive economy usually tells a lot about a bowler. In a stereotype, bowlers who have pace struggle to find control, and vice versa. But Nabi appears to be one of those bowlers who can strike the right balance between pace and accuracy. He keeps the batters guessing with his impeccable lines and lengths, which often results in wickets. One of the main tricks around getting batters out in red-ball cricket is to keep the batters guessing, and Auqib Nabi can do that to perfection.
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The 28-year-old is referred to as the ‘Baramulla Express’ due to his pace and consistency. The pacer was introduced to the game via tennis ball matches in Baramulla. He had to struggle his way up due to a lack of infrastructure and some resistance from his family.
However, Auqib Nabi was once sent as a nightwatchman during his U19 trials. He converted the opportunity into a tremendous century, impressing the selectors and earning a breakthrough. In November 2024, he scalped a six-wicket haul, conceding just 54 runs against Tripura in the Ranji Trophy. To add to that, he also bagged a five-wicket haul against Maharashtra to help Jammu & Kashmir with a first innings lead.
And it does not stop here. In the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy season, he sent more than 40 batters packing. His tally of wickets was the most for a fast bowler from Jammu & Kashmir. Parvez Rasool previously held the record with 38 wickets. In another performance, Nabi tore down the top order of Kerala in the quarter-final to claim a five-wicket haul for 36 runs. Nabi was an integral part of his state’s U19 side too.
Despite these performances, Auqib Nabi has not got a chance to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL). But with his consistent efforts and bowling, him and his family are confident that he will be able to break the shackles someday. And that day might not be too far away!
