The Auqib Nabi supremacy: what worked in Ranji — and will it in Tests? Premium

Auqib Nabi’s remarkable 60-wicket Ranji Trophy season led Jammu & Kashmir to its maiden title. Discover how the Baramulla pacer mastered late swing, dominated batters, and emerged as India’s next fast-bowling prospect.

Fast bowling is viscerally raw. It is intense, unfiltered and powerful, and not only does it register in the onlookers’ minds, but it also evokes deep emotion.

Yet, for every stump that cartwheels, there is the lovely outswinger that kisses the bat and nestles safely in the wicketkeeper’s gloves. Fast bowling is bold, but also beautiful.

No bowler in recent times has embodied these two aspects quite like Auqib Nabi. As Jammu & Kashmir clinched its maiden Ranji Trophy title last week, the 29-year-old from Baramulla finished with a chart-topping 60 wickets at an average of 12.56.

So penetrative was he that his strike-rate was an astounding 28.43. No bowler with 25 or more wickets had a number less than 30. Nabi also took a whopping seven five-wicket hauls, and four of those came in five innings across the quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

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For all the statistical grandeur, there is a pleasing reticence to everything he does. His run-up is not fiery; his pace is not express; he doesn’t stare down batters or indulge in complex vocabulary even while speaking about his expertise. Nabi is both arresting and simple.