He is the second leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Ranji trophy.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have their scouting system on high alert ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The franchise recently called up rising star from Jammu and Kashmir Auqib Nabi for the trials, and he could be among MI target players.
Mumbai Indians do not have much budget to work with after announcing the MI retained players 2026. With only INR 2.75 crore of remaining purse, they have to make some smart decisions to complete the squad. That’s where scouts come into play.
The 29-year-old Auqib Nabi took Mumbai Indians trials on Friday at the franchise’s facility in Ghansoli. The Jammu and Kashmir pacer has been in the form of his life in the last couple of years, delivering consistent performances in domestic cricket.
Nabi is currently the second leading wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 with 29 wickets from nine innings at an average of 13.27. The seamer has taken three five-wicket hauls in five games, including 7 for 27 versus Rajasthan. He was the best performing pacer in the last season as well, picking up 44 scalps at an incredible 13.93 apiece.
Despite delivering such impressive returns in the domestic circuit, Nabi is yet to get an India call-up. However, an IPL contract might not be too far he is likely to be in the MI target players. In 27 T20 matches, he has snared 28 wickets at an economy of 7.83.
Before Mumbai Indians, he had appeared for trials with Delhi Capitals. Multiple franchises are expected to have Auqib Nabi on their radar for the IPL 2026 auction.
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Mumbai Indians have the lowest remaining purse among all teams heading into the mini auction. They have retained most of the squad from the previous season, and have brought in some reinforcements in the trading window.
They acquired Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants, Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans, and Mayank Markande from Kolkata Knight Riders. As a result, they have only INR 2.75 crore with five spots to fill.
The Mumbai Indians auction 2026 strategy will include getting a backup Indian batter, Indian pacer, and an overseas pacer. With that budget, they have to settle for low profile players.
MI Squad 2026: Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Deepak Chahar, Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, Trent Boult, Mitch Santner, Corbin Bosch, Raghu Sharma, Raj Bawa, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Robin Minz, Sherfane Rutherford, Shardul Thakur, and Mayank Markande.
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